Posted on 01/01/2010 6:38:22 PM PST by lightman
Harrisburg ELCA Congregation Gives Building to Coptic Orthodox Church
HARRISBURG, Pa. (ELCA) -- An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation here is breathing new life into its church building by moving out and turning its facilities over to a congregation of another denomination.
Following its worship service of carols and a celebration luncheon Dec. 27, Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church gave its building as a gift to St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church.
This Sunday, Jan. 3, Memorial's members will worship at the James E. Morecraft Christian Education Building, owned by the congregation and directly across the street from the Memorial's former sanctuary. The congregation normally worships during the winter months at the Christian education building to conserve energy. However, it won't return to the sanctuary on Palm Sunday, which has been Memorial's practice, said the Rev. Rochelle E. Lewis, pastor.
Faced with declining membership and a large building to maintain, members of Memorial voted in August to begin transition talks with St. Mark Church.
"When we as a congregation began to speak about the choices we would need to make in order to continue doing ministry on the corners of State and 17th Street, we knew we did not have the resources, physical ability or money to keep the sanctuary from becoming an albatross or a dying weight," Lewis said.
Trustees of the congregation explored a number of options, including merging with another Lutheran congregation. Ultimately, however, the decision was made to give the building as a gift to St. Mark Church.
"We are still invited to celebrate our life passages in the sanctuary of the church building where so many of Memorial's faithful have begun in the waters of Baptism, shared in the love of Christ as a bride and groom, and at the last, came home to begin the journey of eternal life," said Lewis.
Following a luncheon hosted by members of St. Mark Church for Memorial's members, the Rev. B. Penrose Hoover, bishop of the ELCA Lower Susquehanna Synod, and Father Jacob Nadian, priest of St. Mark Church, led a transition service Dec. 27.
"There will be a vibrant young and growing congregation of people of faith … in the church where so many faithful saints of the Lutheran Church have started," said Lewis.
"The sanctuary will once again have the physical care (it) demands. There will be babies in the nursery, children in the Sunday school rooms, women and men in the social hall and kitchen, loving and sharing in the communion of fellowship and hospitality in the church where so many of the lives of faithful Lutherans began," she said.
Reflecting on the long-time members of Memorial, Lewis said she is proud of the "valiant" members of the congregation. "The difficult decisions they have made is a testament of faith and living in God's promise. The strength to be able to let go of the brick and mortar they had labored so fiercely over is beyond basic understanding," she said.
Christ is Born, Glorify Him!
Ping.
Orthodox ping
Ecumenical ping!
(also architectural irony ping, but that’s a really small list)
That photo reminds me so much of my home congregation in Detroit.
St. Al’s in Dearborn?
Since it takes a two-thirds majority for a congregation to leave the ELCA, I suspect many individuals will leave on their own, causing even more ELCA congregations to have more real estate than they can afford. We may see more of this in the not-too-distant future.
My hat is off to the Harrisburg church. Thank you for making a light shine in the midst of darkness. Thank you for the truly unselfish gift. May God have mercy and His Blessing upon you in this and in every upcoming year.
btt
Holy Cross on Grand River near Greenfield.
Is this it?
Probably not so much fallout from CWA as just a congregation which has aged, no longer matches the neiughborhood, and has more or less run its course.
Divesting an old building, costly to maintain and likely in need of major improvements, is a way of buying one last lease on life.
My wife’s home parish was St. Al’s. Similar, but it’s been a few years since I’ve been there. Thanks.
Yes. Thank you, Pastor, and God bless you.
This happened here too. Now it is a vibrant Coptic Christian Community-—God Bless Saint Mark.
“no longer matches the neighborhood,”
The nail has definitely been hit on the head. Any similarity between the church members and the people who reside in the surrounding neighborhood is purely coincidental.
I like stories like this.
I hate to see old churches fall into disrepair. Christ will be proclaimed there still.
I do wonder what type of renovations they will have to do to make things conform to the Orthodox way of doing things.
St. Stephen the First Martyr in Sacramento used to be a Lutheran Church. It is now Tridentine Mass Catholic, standing room only.
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