I was saddened to read of the sudden closure of Holy Family Church earlier this summer. Faced with building problems that presented safety concerns, the church closed with very little notice. Although I am sure that the church’s leaders were diligently dealing with the property needs for a long time, the closure took many by surprise. It was Auburn’s oldest Catholic Church, a beautiful, historic place of worship and former school.
I can only imagine how I would feel if that were to happen to Westminster. Our church is just as old and just as massive as Holy Family, and we face many of the same issues—masonry repair, a very old slate roof, moisture damage, a mostly empty education building, and a shrinking population who attend church. We diligently maintain our property, but sometimes the needs are daunting.
Whenever Auburn loses another historic building, social media is full of outcries. “My parents were married there!” “I went to school there!” “How could ‘they’ let this happen?” While I understand these sentiments, I have to be blunt-- nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills.
Catholics and Presbyterians have different styles of administration, and I can’t comment on how these decisions were made at Holy Family. I can sympathize with those who had to make this difficult decision as well as with those who were affected by it. Big, old buildings, as much as we love them, are challenging.
Our church was built in 1869. The sanctuary seats 500. The 3-story education building was added in the 1930s to house the Sunday school classes for a congregation that at the time numbered in the thousands. Those were the years when “everyone” went to church. Churches were the hub of social life as well as religious life. Youth groups thrived. But over the years, church membership declined, not just at Westminster but in mainline churches everywhere. We now describe ourselves as “a small church in a big building.”
Our congregation now has a membership of 170 people. Our average worship attendance is about 75 people, including those who worship online. Our membership skews older. We have some young families, but we know many churches have no children at all. Our members represent a broad socio-economic range, and they support the church to the best of their abilities. The financial base is smaller than in years past, while expenses continue to rise. With careful planning and good stewardship, we hold our own and consider our church finances stable, if not thriving.
Do we need the huge building we have now? No. Could we be a church in a smaller space or no space at all? Yes. Are maintenance and repairs a major part of our budget? Yes. Would the money be better spent helping people in need? Maybe. Is our building a legacy or a burden? Honestly… both. But the reality is that we do have this building and it is both our identity and our ministry. So the real question, what should we do with it?
Our church serves God. The church’s value is not that it is beautiful or historic, although it is both. More importantly, it is a place that speaks of God’s presence in the very center of our city. It opens its doors to the community and is a spiritual home to people who go out those doors to love and serve others.
One of our challenges (and opportunities!) is to find new ways to use our buildings both to further our mission and to provide income. We love to share our space with non-profit organizations and partner with them in service. We’d like to do that more.
We believe our building is worth preserving. Over the years, in addition to routine maintenance, we restored our Tiffany window, rebuilt and restored our historic pipe organ, repaired our bell cradle, and abated water damage by redirecting storm drainage and installing gutters. We conducted a facilities study to determine the top, medium, and lower priority projects to address over the next five years and we are working hard to address those needs, thanks to diligent and hard-working Property and Finance Committees. We are grateful that our small congregation “keeps the faith.”
When the cornerstone was laid in 1869, it was said, “This church will stand as a sermon in stone which will preach to those who tread these streets 500 years from now.” We are called to fulfill these words, and we pray for God’s help and the help of the community to do so.
I can only imagine how I would feel if that were to happen to Westminster. Our church is just as old and just as massive as Holy Family, and we face many of the same issues—masonry repair, a very old slate roof, moisture damage, a mostly empty education building, and a shrinking population who attend church. We diligently maintain our property, but sometimes the needs are daunting.
Whenever Auburn loses another historic building, social media is full of outcries. “My parents were married there!” “I went to school there!” “How could ‘they’ let this happen?” While I understand these sentiments, I have to be blunt-- nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills.
Catholics and Presbyterians have different styles of administration, and I can’t comment on how these decisions were made at Holy Family. I can sympathize with those who had to make this difficult decision as well as with those who were affected by it. Big, old buildings, as much as we love them, are challenging.
Our church was built in 1869. The sanctuary seats 500. The 3-story education building was added in the 1930s to house the Sunday school classes for a congregation that at the time numbered in the thousands. Those were the years when “everyone” went to church. Churches were the hub of social life as well as religious life. Youth groups thrived. But over the years, church membership declined, not just at Westminster but in mainline churches everywhere. We now describe ourselves as “a small church in a big building.”
Our congregation now has a membership of 170 people. Our average worship attendance is about 75 people, including those who worship online. Our membership skews older. We have some young families, but we know many churches have no children at all. Our members represent a broad socio-economic range, and they support the church to the best of their abilities. The financial base is smaller than in years past, while expenses continue to rise. With careful planning and good stewardship, we hold our own and consider our church finances stable, if not thriving.
Do we need the huge building we have now? No. Could we be a church in a smaller space or no space at all? Yes. Are maintenance and repairs a major part of our budget? Yes. Would the money be better spent helping people in need? Maybe. Is our building a legacy or a burden? Honestly… both. But the reality is that we do have this building and it is both our identity and our ministry. So the real question, what should we do with it?
Our church serves God. The church’s value is not that it is beautiful or historic, although it is both. More importantly, it is a place that speaks of God’s presence in the very center of our city. It opens its doors to the community and is a spiritual home to people who go out those doors to love and serve others.
One of our challenges (and opportunities!) is to find new ways to use our buildings both to further our mission and to provide income. We love to share our space with non-profit organizations and partner with them in service. We’d like to do that more.
We believe our building is worth preserving. Over the years, in addition to routine maintenance, we restored our Tiffany window, rebuilt and restored our historic pipe organ, repaired our bell cradle, and abated water damage by redirecting storm drainage and installing gutters. We conducted a facilities study to determine the top, medium, and lower priority projects to address over the next five years and we are working hard to address those needs, thanks to diligent and hard-working Property and Finance Committees. We are grateful that our small congregation “keeps the faith.”
When the cornerstone was laid in 1869, it was said, “This church will stand as a sermon in stone which will preach to those who tread these streets 500 years from now.” We are called to fulfill these words, and we pray for God’s help and the help of the community to do so.
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