Bible and Book Exchange

Photo by Lucille Lettau

Article by Lucille Lettau

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – On March 15, 2025, I left a prayer request in the Pennington House asking God to provide me with resources to understand Him better. Three hours later, my aunt pulled me into a colorful art gallery on NE 3rd St. McMinnville. Hidden in the back was God’s answer.

I remember walking past the door to John Stromme’s Art Gallery as it rained. My Aunt, visiting from Los Angeles, convinced me to enter. A cheery man greeted us, sitting in the middle of the gallery on a small, black-leather sofa as he read a book. That man was John Stromme.

My aunt, sociable as always, struck up a conversation which led us to a room in the back of the store, half studio space and half filled with book shelves. I was intent on looking around (I mean, I am an English major), yet I was more intrigued when he explained to us that the books were free—all of them. There’s something special about knowledge unburdened by price. 

The remarkability of what my Aunt and I stumbled upon hits me now when I think about the books I took that day; the titles that I never would have touched because of something as rudimentary as a price tag. Further, Stromme came into the book room to give us his recommendations and tell us a bit about the operation. 

When he discovered that his favorite book, “God’s Promises for your Every Need,” was out of stock, Stromme went to the studio side of the room to give us his personal copy. Over a year later, Stromme would give me a personal copy of his book again.

While this operation and his actions are remarkable, what left me in awe the most was the severity at which I saw God working though Stromme. Two days after our initial interaction, I remembered my forgotten prayer card in the Pennington House. I felt dumb for not realising sooner how quickly God had answered my prayer. Then I remembered how often we don’t even recognize when one has been answered.

This exposition should serve to help you, the reader, understand why I have wanted to drive back to McMinnville and dive deeper into this man’s life for over a year; a man whose art gallery answered a prayer, and whose words of advice and disposition towards God brought tears to my eyes that March 15.

For a year, how I have written of Stromme is how I saw and knew him. Only on March 20 of this year did I make my way back to that gallery to ask if he was interested in an interview. On April 4, I got the chance to sit down with Stromme and ask him all the questions which had been pestering me. Stromme dragged another black-leather sofa out into the gallery from his studio and we began.

Stromme was born in Seattle during the year 1957 as the movie “Jailhouse Rock” played from the room below. “I like to think that they were actually playing the song in that movie while I was being born,” said Stromme, “I always liked Elvis Presley." Stromme believes this movie playing at his birth was a fitting beginning.

By the fourth grade, Stromme knew school was not for him. He was drawn to something else: art. “When I was in the fourth grade—Mrs. Larson was her name—she told my mom at one of the teacher parent conferences that: ‘All John does is draw. He's not doing any of the work,’” said Stromme.

Stromme decided to do what was necessary to graduate high school, and thanks to the support of his mom who enrolled him in an art school, Stromme was able to foster his passion. “[Because of that] I discovered that I could paint at an early age, so then I continued to draw all of my way through school,” said Stromme. “I just barely graduated high school, because I just didn't like it.”

In his adult life, Stromme supported himself financially by owning businesses. He has been the owner of a RV dealership, painting and insurance company, also having worked as a motorcycle salvager in his lifetime. Though he switched careers many times, he has remained an artist through it all.

During the 2008 financial crisis, Stromme decided to put all his energy into his art. Stromme said, “I had all these different businesses and I decided ‘To heck with this. I'm just gonna paint.’”  

Stromme didn’t begin in his ideal spot, but more than the location, the art was what mattered most to him. 

“I got a chance to get a gallery on Third Street up above [Pinot Vista]. And then from there, I kept trying to get a little better space,” said Stromme. “I always wanted to be on street level, you know, in the heart of Third St.”

Five years ago, Stromme acquired his current gallery, right in the heart of Third St. where he always wanted it. “Then I was here! And I was doing wonderfully well,” said Stromme. However, rising inflation made Stromme look to God for guidance. 

“It was when eggs went from $3 to $11. Inflation got out of control and the art market just went, so I was praying. I said, ‘Lord, I don't know what I'm going to do. It's just me in here. What am I supposed to do?’ And then God just spoke to me and said, ‘Rent space to artists.’ And so I put a little sign in the front window, and in a month it was full,” said Stromme.

Unlike many rental galleries, Stromme decided to only charge artists for wall space; not commission on sales. This arrangement benefits the artists and Stromme, who attracts more renters. “I've had businesses my whole career, so I kind of understood business fairly well,” said Stromme, “Artists can't stand commission and it's a very simple way of doing business.”

Apart from Stromme’s business adventures, his spiritual journey is much like the average person’s: full of challenges. He grew up in a Christian home and remembers giving his life to Christ in the second grade after a mysterious situation with a pink slip from school.

“I got this pink slip and instead of having [my mom] sign it, I threw it in the garbage can, on top of all the garbage, right? The teacher called my mom and I got in trouble," said Stromme. “I had to fess up and I said, ‘Well, I threw it away in the garbage can.’ When she lifted the lid to the garbage can, it was pasted down at the bottom. The garbage can was empty except for that pink slip.”

Though his testimony may seem random, Stromme has since watched for and witnessed the mysterious workings of God in his life, whether they have been to put him back on a right path or to aid him in completing God’s will.

Stromme’s founding of the free book room has relied upon trust that God will provide and enact His will. 

“God put it on my heart. He said, ‘Don't take any money from anybody, period.’ And I never have,” said Stromme. “God's just provided. I can't even explain how He does it, because I don't go to looking at it, trying to make sense of Him. I just know the money's always there somehow.”

While Stromme does not have an official name for the free book room, he has deemed it the Bible and Book Exchange, despite there not being any exchange required by those who take books.

The Bible and Books Exchange started much like the way I crossed paths with Stromme’s gallery: a prayer request box. Stromme had this box in his studio, keeping his door open to those who came to view the gallery. He added a small shelf of Bibles but felt called to do more. 

“So I was [in the studio] painting and I got to talking to the Lord. I said, ‘You know, Lord, we can get a lot more books in here if I could move my studio over to one side and move some of the art out,’” said Stromme. “I’m pretty sure it was my idea but God has this way of making us think it's our idea. Have you ever noticed that?” 

Stromme began with trips to St. Vincent’s and Goodwill, purchasing Bibles, devotionals and other Christian books. In Stromme’s plan for this book room, God has provided.

“I rarely have to buy [books] anymore. The local church ladies in the area found out about it and now they just bring me books,” said Stromme. “It’s just been really wonderful. And the prayer box thing has been really neat too. I really enjoy praying for people.”

When I had first encountered Stromme’s free book room, I remember him telling me it was a room full of books that “heal the soul.” One condition that Stromme has for books in his room is that they contain the Word of God.

“Right now, there's probably close to 2000 books back there. And it started with one,” said Stromme. “There’s about 200 Bibles back there. I’ve got them in Spanish too. People always try to pay me but I won’t take it.”

Stromme has seen many miracles in his life. One arose from his first box of free books. 

“So I had a friend of mine come in and she said, ‘Oh, you've got what's-his-name’s book. We just studied that at our church.’ So I grab it and I've got the book sandwiched between two hands, I took the pressure off, and it fell open to this specific page. There was a $100 bill in there. That $100 bill looked like human hands had never even touched it. Wow! The corners were perfect, crisp and uncurled.”

Despite all the miracles, submission to God and faithful fulfillment that Stromme told me about in his life, the one thing he stressed most of all was that we all struggle, are imperfect and fall short of the glory of God.

Stromme said, “Don't do like me. Just don't. I've made so many mistakes in my life. And you know, I messed up my first marriage because I was just drinking and carrying on and pursuing pleasure.”

I was shocked to hear him emphasize his failures and struggles because a year ago, Stromme to me was a beacon of what taking up one’s own cross looked like. Don’t get me wrong: he still is, in my mind, a great example of living out a Jesus-like life. 

The wrongs he expressed to me did not take away from the light I saw in him. Rather, his humility let me understand that when we, as Christians, share only in our gains for the Kingdom of God, we isolate the win from the struggle. 

Stromme reminded me that we are brought together in pain as well as in glory and that what we see as glory for the Kingdom of God is really just submission to God’s will. As Stromme said earlier, “God has this way of making us think it’s our idea.” 

Stromme’s advice to all living in this life is to, “Just surrender.” He then quotes Philippians 4:6-7 KJV: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Through my conversation with Stromme, I felt a true fellowship with another in the Kingdom of God by our struggles. In times of pain and suffering, Stromme has this to say: 

“When things hit, you go to God. Don't, don't go drink or whatever. Then, humble yourself and then pray without ceasing. Always be in fellowship with God. Always be praying and be in complete surrender. And you know, God says in all things give thanks, and He's talking about our problems.” 

 Stromme knows that following this is not easy—I can attest—yet it is the most we can do in times of struggle. Stromme said, “That is the battle, that's the fight. You know, there's a reason why God gave us the armor. He knows [the world’s] tough”

“I think it's tougher now than it's ever been. We’re constantly bombarded and you just have to stay in fellowship with God,” said Stromme, “and when you’re in that place of surrender and God’s presence is there, there is no drug that will ever come close.”

I am one of the first people who will admit that this world is terrifying and it is so easy to become lost in fear, anxiety and anguish. I have been. That’s part of why for over a year I have been so focused on wanting to write this article, yet also why it took me so long. This is about more than Stromme and an art gallery: this story, life and world is all of ours. God has a plan through all of the pain.

“God’s bringing in the harvest,” said Stromme. “You have to be ever vigilant. It's so easy to get off track. So keep going to church, keep having fellowship with God and keep having fellowship with other Christians. All of that is just crucial.”

I remember being in awe that God had so quickly answered my prayer for resources to learn of Him—those being the free books—but I think it was God’s idea for me to write this article, though at first He made it feel like mine. 

As I write this on April 13, I realize that the resources I had asked for on a piece of paper in Pennington house are not just those books but the fellowship I gained with Stromme in each of our struggling and broken lives. 

Stromme has quite adequately given advice for the Christian life and all I can offer is the address to his gallery, pointing you toward a fraction of the fellowship we have all been called to be a part of. You can find Stromme and his gallery at 307 NE 3rd St, McMinnville, OR 97128.

Of his life’s work, Stromme has this to say: “It’s been such a blessing, I just love what I do. Choose to do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. I think I’m just extremely fortunate to be able to do something I love. I love people. I love talking to people.”

Stromme told me to invite anyone at school to stop by and see the art, take some books, or take a moment to be in fellowship with him. I pray that you do.