WATERVLIET >> One local congregation held its final service over the weekend, taking the time to say farewell to its longtime place of worship at 819 23rd Street.
Initially established at a different location in 1834, the First Presbyterian Church of Watervliet held an emotion-filled last service Sunday morning.
A total of 89 people gathered to pray in the sacred space for one last time. While this group was more than four times the congregation’s typical size for weekly service, it still didn’t fill the church to capacity.
Over the years, the church’s membership has dwindled, and with less participation, the building’s condition has deteriorated.
Although those gathered met and worshiped beneath peeling ceiling paint, between cracked walls and upon faded red upholstery in the pews, they failed to stop attendees from singing praise, sharing memories and appreciating all that has happened within the structure, built in 1875.
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It is sad when a church closes for any reason. We pray that these church members will find a new church home.
Another church biting the dusk, and is not Apostasy of the pcusa great???
My dad pastored the Reformed (RCA) congregation in Watervliet in my teenage years. It has long been shuttered. Now this. Does anyone know if there is any expression of the Reformed faith left in Watervliet?
There are three other PC(USA) churches within 3 miles of this church.
From the statistics left on the PC(USA) website they lost 26 members in 2004 and 22 in 2012.