Church closing marks trend ?
It's easy to look at the shuttering of Christ Church in Watertown as a victory for traditionalist Episcopalians, who left the church to protest its embrace of gay clergy.
But in many ways the closing of the stately 245-year-old church points to a more pressing crisis: The waning membership of the Episcopal Church, one of the oldest religious denominations in the United States. Even without the controversy over the interpretation of scripture and a gay bishop, the church would have closed because of lack of funds, said the Rev. Stanley C. Kemmerer, priest in charge at Christ Church. "It was just a matter of time," he said.
Even before the split, Christ Church had fewer than 100 members. On Jan. 6, 2008, when it held its first service without the break-off members, only three worshipers were in the pews. In the six months since Kemmerer has been there, Sunday morning worship has inched up to between 20 to 30 members — an improvement but not nearly enough to sustain the church.
"That's what it was about — not enough bucks — not the gay issue," Kemmerer said.
Although the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican Communion, has been embroiled in a debate over interpretation of scripture, gay clergy and gay marriage, its biggest threat may come from the change in the culture itself.
To read the complete story see Friday's Republican-American or our electronic edition at http://republicanamerican.ct.newsmemory.com. See
But in many ways the closing of the stately 245-year-old church points to a more pressing crisis: The waning membership of the Episcopal Church, one of the oldest religious denominations in the United States. Even without the controversy over the interpretation of scripture and a gay bishop, the church would have closed because of lack of funds, said the Rev. Stanley C. Kemmerer, priest in charge at Christ Church. "It was just a matter of time," he said.
Even before the split, Christ Church had fewer than 100 members. On Jan. 6, 2008, when it held its first service without the break-off members, only three worshipers were in the pews. In the six months since Kemmerer has been there, Sunday morning worship has inched up to between 20 to 30 members — an improvement but not nearly enough to sustain the church.
"That's what it was about — not enough bucks — not the gay issue," Kemmerer said.
Although the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican Communion, has been embroiled in a debate over interpretation of scripture, gay clergy and gay marriage, its biggest threat may come from the change in the culture itself.
To read the complete story see Friday's Republican-American or our electronic edition at http://republicanamerican.ct.newsmemory.com. See
Church closing marks trend
Waterbury Republican American Site feed @ http://www.oasiscalifornia.org/news/atom.xmlposted by Tom Jackson at
6/22/2009 12:39:00 PM
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