OT: church closing.

It is real hard to see a church go through the process of Deconsecration and Disbanding, but I was there this morning.

It was the "sister" church to the one we go to. Same pastor did serve both.

One of the members has been there 82 years, she is 93.

They kept is open as long as they could, but giving has went down with the bad economy, and membership also down. The only new people moving here area are Amish. They aren't going to attend a Methodist Church.

It was tough being there. Could say more, but enough for now. DOUG

Since you mentioned that-- this past Thursday we went to an auction of a church building plus contents and parsonage of a closed Presbyterian church that had established 100 to 125 years ago. There had been an addition of a fellowship hall, kitchen, classrooms, restrooms and auxillary entrance in more recent years. The 7000 sq.ft. was appraised by the assessor for $175,000. In that town with a struggling economy in NW Ohio it sold for $30,000. The parsonage is a neat brick house with newer windows, appraised for $125,000 and sold for $40,000. That town has 2 other smaller closed churches for sale and one about 8 miles out in the country also for sale. There is a new church that opened there a few years ago however.

Yes, it is a sad and difficult decision to have to make. We have had a few small, OLD, churches close in this area. We had our annual meeting at our Baptist church today. It's been around since about 1872. I am related to one of the founders, and my family has been involved every since. I may be the last one tho, none of my kids are close by. Average Sunday turnout is 25-30, finances are in good shape. We support 4 active missionaries + a local bible camp and send money to Shepards Home. Minister is retired school teacher, so he doesn't need or request a large salery, $210/week. We have made improvements over the last year to the building and have a few more planned. Whenever a major expense comes up, we announce that we will take up a special offering to pay for it and usually get all the money needed in 1 offering. Back in the mid 70's, we decided to put on siding and have insulation blown into sidewalls and ceiling of church and parsonage. Bid was just over $10,000. The treasurer said she started recieving checks from the hog market and grain elevators weeks before the special offering. When the offering was taken, there was just a little bit more than the bid was for. I was in awe, the older members acted like it was nothing unusual. I remember hearing my grandad's brother tell about in the depression, sometimes there wouldn't be enough in the collection to pay the preacher. The deacons would get together and pony up the difference. Sorry for rambling on, it's sad to hear of churches having to close and I feel fortunate to be a part of a healthy, Bible believing and preaching church. I am a deacon and a trustee. Chris

M Moline Fan;
Was this the church in York Center? I attended this church as a youngster... Gene

Sorry to hear that. Old country churches are truly places of inspiration. I can't help but feel a feeling of reverence and awe when you see a steeple standing stately across the open farm lands or nestled amongst the trees of this great nation. I often wish the walls of these old buildings could talk. Think of the stories they could tell! Many of these buildings were built in days of horse and buggies, and a truly much simpler way of living.
Our church was established in the 1880's and my great great grandfather was a charter member. Today there are four generations of my family that attend. My grandparents who are in there 80's, my folks, my wife and I, and now our daughter. My dad is a deacon, my mom plays the piano, and my grandma played the organ up until cancer treatments forced her to quit two years ago. Doctors gave her 5% chance of survival at that time, and she has lived to see 6 great grand children born since! Doctors say it is almost unbelievable, but we know God had other plans for her life. Our church "family" was a huge part in her recovery. Even today my grandpa can't talk about the whole ordeal with out tearing up when he tells about the support of their church.
Sorry for the rambeling, just brought back lots of memories from our little old church.

sorry to see another one closing, it is a shame i too love to pull into a small town and see a towering church steeple, seems like you get better services in a small church everthing is more personal bad ecomony means hard times and folks cant give what they just havent got,

My great-grandfather was a founder and charter member of the Lutheran church I grew up in out in the country.

By 1964 membership and finances had fallen off to where one pastor was serving our congregation and a similar one some 20 miles away. The two churches mergered and built a new church in town half way between. The new church, of which I was a charter member, has been growing ever since. My wife and I were the first wedding in the new church. We didn't plan it that way, it just happened. We've since transferred elsewhere.

The sad part is, the country church I grew up in, and which has so much of my family's history, is now sitting vacant and deteriorating. The property was purchased privately to continue using the parsonage as a residence, but the church building itself is just rotting down. It's heartbreaking to see. I think there should be a law or an agreement that when a church building is obviously never going to be used as a church again that the building be razed.

I can certainly agree with the rest of you. I"m a birthright member of a small Quaker church that was established in 1882. Over the years, as children of our members grew up, they left the rural setting and headed to larger towns/cities. We"re down to maybe 35 members, of which 10-18 take an active part in worship/etc. It only seems to be a matter of time (2-3 years ?) before we fold and I hate it with a passion! My wife came from a big Baptist church and fell in love with our little place and she agrees with the rest of us on being a matter of time.

No, the one I'm referring to is at Rockford, Ohio.

This past summer went to my great grandfathers church and home in Germany/now Poland. German grave stones are piled next to the cemetary wall. My daughter found ggrandfathers stone laying on the cemetary wall, like someone put it there for us to find, almost spooky. Maybe found the family pew with our name on the back, 1776. Church was used for a wedding this summer and is being maintained by the Poles. Found monument to great uncles killed in France in WWI. Found the family home in good shape too. Whole experience was great. Have a three generation pix in front of our home and church. I have an English speaking person to email in the village.

Doug where in central il are you?

Very sad ,, The closest church to Me closed 3 yrs back , Same scenario ,/Sister church shared ministers 4 miles away ,, always been a church cemetary on that corner for more than 150 yrs ... Here is the KICKER ,, the upper church organization ( who will not be named, AND PLEASE DON'T TRY TO GUESS ) demanded a non-compete clause ! ..NO CHURCH SERVICES ON PROPERTY FOR 10 YRS !..ONLY BURIALS , one family who has a lot of forefathers buried there(who 150 yrs ago donated land to church) bought property back lock ,stock ,and barrel,, And another kicker was they had to go to County BZA for approval of sale , /which we gave unanimously ...I hope in 7 yrs services will resume again PROPERLY

Doug,

Sorry to hear about the church, it is very sad to think about all of the work and passion that so many people put into it to make it work and now dwindling away. I am a member of a Lutheran Church that has since built a new building but still has the original building built in the 1880s. We still have service there in summer and Christmas morning (just converted from wood to gas heat last year). There is nothing quite like sitting in one of those small, old buildings to listen to the sermon! As the small towns slowly dry up, so goes everything with it I guess? I hope and pray for the best!

Doug, I"m sorry to hear of your church problems. Here in our area, there are several new churches being built, and we recently completed a new addition on our little country church.

When we were talking of borrowing the money to add on, I was very nervous. We voted to obtain a loan, and the very next Sunday evening a stranger visited the service. Someone mentioned the upcoming construction, and he stood up and announced that he was a union electrician, and would wire the church if we"d provide the materials. This guy lived 40 miles away, and just decided to pull in as he was driving by. He not only supervised wiring the addition, but also rewired the entire original structure. We installed over 7200 feet of wire in all, plus a new service, dist. panel, etc.

That stranger made me realize we were not alone in this endeavor.

We may move away from the Father, but He doesn"t move away from us!

Paul

Learned LONG AGO , YA got Big Problems When Your dreams and Goals are not the same as those AROUND YOU that You Love And Care For.......... HONESTLY I did not raise MY kids this way!.And HOPE YOU GUYS don't Stone me as a FAILED Dad .....but divorce /destroys so much! ,,My children are a example of modern favor toward Mega churches, They will drive miles to worship annonymously ,Because The Minister and congregation does not know them among 500 faces /So no one stops by their house to make sure they are ok during the week , if they Miss church, because they remain virtually UNSEEN ....... .. they can let the collection plate go by unoticed ...AND .when specifically asked to volunteer for extra curricular church functions /they can politely decline without feeling guilt or shame /and turn up at another mega church until they are asked to volunteer / .........YEAH !!its SELFISH!!Their defense is they want to be left alone . And its Doubtful that it is much more than a social function to them , GOD only KNOWS and I am not the Judge .....10yrs ago or so .They stopped going to the little church where they were baptized, Where I intermingled in committees and activities and such as needed... I called them on it , They ran away from Me for a While , But, they have improved quite a bit , since They now Have children Of their Own .. if Everyone in America is like Mine, this is just one trend that Closes the Beautiful Close knit community Churches THAT MADE AMERICAS people GREAT, and a RIGHTOUS POWER TO be reckoned with ...

I think churches are victims of infrastucture but the is also a movement to the megachuches wth thie once a week big show including for some, fireworks, rock bands and lots of lights and noise. When you leave you feel as if you recieved enuff religion till next week. Here in extreme SW NC there are churches in every cove along the vallets and new churches starting every week. Lots to pick and choose from. Most pastors are what is called a 2 occupation pastor who work a full or part time job and also work with the church. very few make a sustainable wage from the church. They do it for love of the Lord. We aree just finnishing up a 12000 SQ ft church which has been built by mostly our own members. WE have 3 licensed electricians, a licensed AC man (me) a licensed plumber, painter, and a whole construction crew. Started in Feb and will finish next month. This area is still growing even in bad times. Lots of prayers for ya'll losing your churches. Come worship with us. Henry

Yup. People are more willing to "feel good" about worshipping God, then ACTUALLY worshipping HIM. It's a sad state of affairs, especially now, when we need HIM most.
Unfortunately, even the smaller, "home town" churches have fallen victim to "weekend warrior syndrome". People go to be seen, not to worship.

My Dad was an elder in the local Lutheran church, and broke ground for the new church (in 1967...). My brother still attends, but we don't. I've found more truth in the Bible then that which comes from the pulpit.
We don't live that far from town, and get a JW, or two, to stop by for a chat once and awhile, but I'm STILL waiting for one of the local pastors to come visit....I guess they're just nervous...8^)

We attended services with our daughters family,
and they had a rock band, the drummer was poppin
bubble gum bubbles and seemed to be high on
something. like MN JOE, we wanted to walk out,
but the teenage grandkids already hate us cause
we don"t give them enough, or like their couch
potato vidio game lifestyle, so we endured. I
sure don"t like modern church, i"d rather be
outside where I can see God at work on the earth,
in the new spring plants and flowers and under
the infinate stars.

Our local church minister, at the time, was a young fellow, who seemed to be an earnest fellow intent on preaching the word of God, so we joined that church! Everything went along well for a time, but one day, the law came and arrested him for non-payment of Social Security taxes!
I knew some of the higher-ups didn't like him, so they didn't pay his Social Security taxes for him, although they indicated they had on his pay check! That got him in big trouble, and gave the higher-ups a reason to fire him! And that gave us a reason to stop attending church there!
We still get bills for our share of the big new addition they built and which they didn't need, but i worship at my own altar, my home! And, we got a visit from the new guy they hired to pastor to the flock! Might go back--might not!

Doug
That just happened to a church near me in Tilden,IL

Joe,
I am sure glad Jesus and the Apostles had crew cuts.

Aren't union members all socialists? Should they even be allowed in church?

I heard a story once about 150 years ago a white man was describing a church to an American Indian. The Indian said, "My church is a hillside overlooking a beautiful valley with mountains in the background. When I feel a need to speak to the Great Spririt, I sit on my hillside and take in the magnificance of it all. How can you say your church is better than mine?"

Interesting point and, to me, a valid question. I sometimes think we spend too much time admiring the things we've created in the Lord's name and not enough time admiring the things the Lord himself created.

(quoted from post at 08:08:08 04/27/09) I heard a story once about 150 years ago a white man was describing a church to an American Indian. The Indian said, "My church is a hillside overlooking a beautiful valley with mountains in the background. When I feel a need to speak to the Great Spririt, I sit on my hillside and take in the magnificance of it all. How can you say your church is better than mine?"

Interesting point and, to me, a valid question. I sometimes think we spend too much time admiring the things we've created in the Lord's name and not enough time admiring the things the Lord himself created.

Click to expand...

Exactly....... I can count on one hand the number of times I've been to a church service in my life..........Every time was both entertaining and disappointing. You learn a lot about the character of people by going to church.

Dave

The church that closed was in Tennessee, IL. Sister church is 2 miles away, Colchester, IL. DOUG

The church as most of us know it, is in decline. My church in non denominational. We just celebrted our 100th year of ministry. The sad part is 95% of our congregation is over 50 and most are more like 65 + years old. There are no kids that attend Sunday School.

I have been on the board of trustees for almost 30 years. We are in good financial shape and support the missions. The pastor never preaches money. What he does preach is the Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Some of the young ones don't want to hear the true word of god.

As some have said, the younger crowd likes the modern churches with the bands,etc. I am not saying that's bad.