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.

By the Rev. Joe Tagliaferre
April 29th of this year, I woke up early in the morning at my home in Jefferson City Missouri where I have been living for a couple years and have begun to take root. I was happily driving coach bus after having been a pastor for 40 years. Was I retired from ministry? Maybe? But God had other plans.

That morning at 7:33 CT I received the following message on Facebook messenger from Jill Fandrich at Westminster: “Hi Joe, I am reaching out to see if you are still doing any temporary/bridge/transitional pastor work in the summers when you are not driving teams around. And if so, would you be interested in talking to us about spending some time in Auburn as a temporary pastor while we continue to search for an installed pastor. I know that kind of comes out of the blue but I saw you were doing some temporary church work in previous summers in the Midwest.” 

Thanks Jill. So after I recovered this message from Jill a question came to mind. I asked, “Why me?” But not in the mindset of, “Woe is me, why me?”  Not “Why in the world would God send me to Auburn, NY?”  I actually lived in Auburn for a few years seventeen years ago.

It was more like, “God are you really going to do this good thing for me? Why me?What did I do to deserve something good?” You see, I planned on spending my summers in New York two years from now when I retire. My son and his family live in Rochester NY and I have grandchildren to spoil. And the added bonus is that I love bass fishing, and started tournament fishing when I was here seventeen years ago. So, bass fishing has been on the agenda as well. How did God know that?    

I ask that question tongue in cheek, because I believe God is all knowing. The older I get, the more I realize that I cannot predict Gods plan for my life. I try, and I whine when it does not go my way, but God’s plan always is the best plan!
For me, returning to Auburn, is like Groundhog Day! I’m reliving past experiences.  I’ve already tapped into some of my previous joys. Besides connecting with some old friends, I’ve been pleased to note that Reese’s Dairy is still open and still has my favorite cone, the Creansicle Twist.

I can still find fresh fruit at Morgan Half Acre Produce (and some really good Zucchini Bread). And I’ve also found some new things.  Heart and Hand Pie Shop and Bakery will be a new regular stop!
I have to admit returning to Auburn is like living a part of my life all over again, not unlike what happens in the movie, Groundhog Day.  The only difference is that it’s a much more pleasant experience for me! I am enjoying my return to Auburn, many things have not changed, and some have.

All in all, it’s a pleasant experience to be back and a blessing to join in the ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church as their temporary pastor. Plus, being close to the family and good bass fishing are true bonuses! God’s plans often exceed our hopes and expectations! He knows! God is good! 

The Rev. Joe Tagliaferre is the Temporary Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, providing pastoral leadership while the church searches for a permanent pastor. Joe has a BS from Geneva College, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a M.Div from Pittsburgh Seminary. He has served 12 churches in an interim position as well as other churches in other capacities in his 40 year career as a pastor. In between churches, Joe drives coach buses for college sports teams in the midwest!