What I found interesting was one of the comments below:
What a joke the Episcopalians are......and
the joke reaches criminally unfunny in the diocese of Western Michigan.
They sold the cathedral in Kalamazoo because attendance dwindled to
about a 100 whereas the capacity [was] magnitudes greater. The
non-denominational church that bought the property almost immediately
needed more room... Attendance here has been falling over the past
decade. They thought a new building would stem the tide??? Get a clue,
Episcopalians... It's the liberal church that
doesn't believe in anything but sues real Christians. If you build it,
they still won't come.
While the commenter is indeed bitter and his sentiment harsh, the truth is the liberal churches that stand for little in the way of doctrinal truth and conviction have been dwindling. The statistics are not pretty. You might think that this would be a wake up call for liberal churches in America. It seems not to be the case. If you build it, they won't come...unless you stand for something. It is always sad to see what has become of church bodies which were once strong faces on the American landscape. This is one more story of the sad decline of a once sturdy church. It should say something to Lutherans poised to follow the same path. It should.
3 comments:
This story is all too familiar, I heard anecdotes such as this more than once in the late 80’s and through the 90’s only it was Lutheran churches that were closing one day and being filled the next with a non-denom neo evangelical congregations. What typically happens is a change in the demographics of the community, the ethnicity changes from 2nd or 3rd Generation German, Italian, Polish, Bohemian, etc. to Hispanic, African American, Asian and the local church ignores the changes rather than seeing an opportunity. This is compounded with an endowment of some sort, or a well meaning benefactor who helps maintains the facility; giving the false impression all is well far beyond the congregation’s point of no return. However the similarity ends there. It is one thing to have the truth and keep it to yourself; and it is quite another to despise the truth and offer the placebo of cultural relevance in its place. This particular circumstance proves that you can spend all the money you wish, but that won’t solve the problems caused by apostasy and error.
PS. The lady in the picture wearing oven mit/mitre is Bishop Jefferts-Schori, not Rev. Crise.
Hmmmm....either attend a liberal church that promotes a universalist agenda, or attend the non-denominational church that doesn't believe in anything other than in using Christ as a personal self-help coach.
Non-denominational churches don't seem to stand for anything, and yet the people DO come. At what point do they all go the way of Rob Bell and embrace Universalism. There is nothing in non-denominational doctrine from prohibiting that transition....
Gee, thought it was Halloween there for a moment just looking at the picture. Welcome to one of the effects in those "not in communion with the Bishop of Rome" of a whole basilica full of creaky old guys in Halloween costumes pictured in the next story.
Post a Comment