By Jeff Allen, Seminole County Reporter.
It’s the end of an era for one of the oldest churches in Central Florida. On Sunday, the 133-year-old First Presbyterian Church of Sanford held its very last service.
“This congregation needs to move to a different place,” said church member Cassidy Gleaton.
But for one more time Sunday, members of First Presbyterian Church of Sanford worshipped in a place the church has called home for more than a century.
“My parents got married in this church. I was married in this church,” said Gleaton.
“There’s going to be a lot of hurting people here. These people have been here literally since they were born,” said church member Tammy Rentsch.
At one time the church had about 1,000 members. But over the years, the church’s congregation has dwindled down to only a couple dozen people. Facing very expensive repairs to its 100-year-old building, church leaders decided in May to close.
“We made a priority decision that we could either put money into maintaining a building or put money into the ministry, and we chose to put money into the ministry,” said Pastor Hugh Lackey.
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“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
Lao Tzu
I’ve not lately seen a Median Church Size for the PCUSA. The number 87 members sticks in my head but I’m not sure that is now correct but I’ll assume it is. The Average church size is 170 but the Median is more important.
If all 1001 Worshiping Communities are successful church plants and hit the Median of 87 members that is 87,087 by the 10 year mark. Not likely but assume it does happen. Doubtful those will all be brand new members to the PCUSA. For arguments sake though we can assume they are.
For the past 10 years the PCUSA has had a net loss of 694,369 members. The 10 year projection for membership losses for a denomination with the average age of 67 is likely to be around one million. Even a pie-in-the-sky rosy scenario of success for the 1001 WCs doesn’t come close to staunching the losses.
PCUSA.org says that 32% of congregations have 1-50 members, and another 23% have 51-100. So the median membership is probably in the neighborhood of the 87 you recall seeing.
87 was the median number for 2013. Each year that number has been decreasing by from 2 to 4, so the figure for 2014 will probably be somewhere around 84.
And yes, Peter Gregory is my real name. Though if I did choose a pseudonym, it would be “Swaggy P.”
The PCUSA would say its median size of a congregation is 89 in 2014. Which statistically is different from “average”.
The core systemic and structural problem with the PCUSA, and you have many problems to choose from, is that it still staffs, resources, pays, support and try to keep the wheels going as if it is still 1965 and you had a 4.3 million denomination. It is much like keeping all the lights on, grass cut, utilities current on house designed for 4 mil and only about 1.5 and falling are currently in the ‘Big Tent”. At some point the entire governing, management matrix. 177 presbytery, 15 synod, OGA ,Louisville, 12 Seminaries simply collapses under its own bulk and weight. You see this now in Presbyteries as Pittsburgh, Philly, Boston, South Louisiana that simply have gone dark and non-functional on many levels.
1001 is a myth ,a sham, at best folks drinking coffee and talking theology, at worst pagan entities.
For all his obvious deficiencies as a leader or manager, the Stated Clerk is no fool or idiot. He knows what is about to happen and gets out while he can. The great down-sizing of the denomination to about to happen, is happening, and cannot be mitigated.
What the PCUSA is now, today is essentially the UCC in all external forms and politics with a property held in trust clause. Good luck with that mess, and the last one out of the tent, please secure the lights.
I am 80 and retired. I am deeply sad because the plight of Mainline
denominations, including our beloved PC [USA], is tragic. I recently
visited with two pastors of congregations that have departed for the ECO. I hope to interview even more during the coming months.
In retrospect, it seems the unresolved issues of the late 19th and early
20th centuries in Presbyterianism remain and are more clearly defined today. Lefferts Loetscher in his “The Broadening Church” made a case
for strength in the evolving movement. My sense is the strength was
sufficient to prevent the erosion and loss of the biblical standards and the link to the Book of Confessions.
In speaking with these pastors, the property was an issue but the strange path that is charted by the denomination today has lead
to two forks in the road. One road is an attempt to be faithful to the
Gospel and evangelism with substance and a return of vital piety.
The other is to become culturally relevant or a modified version of
social work and be done with essential religion.
Some want to create a Big Tent; some call it the tent has been stolen.
All that remains is a plot of land and negotations require a settlement
of the worth of the property.
The political agenda that invests the Palestinians [a KGB and Nassar of Egypt propaganda tool] with sanctity, and Israel as the Middle East menace makes the PC [USA] impotent and not a force for reconcilation in the Middle East.
Furthermore, I discovered that each presbytery has its own policy on dismissal.
For a connectional church that does not appear a way of practicing
authentic connectionalism.
It now appears the denomination is in the final stages of disappearing. But once upon a time, the Presbyterian Church, North or South and other varieties, had a great witness in America and in the world. Presbyerians brought the Gospel to Korea and that Church is strong, even vibrant. Korean Presbyerians, as I experience them in the U.S. are what pious Christians were at the turn of the 20th century. Unfortunately, American Presbyterian has lost its voice, reverance for Holy Things, relevance, and vibrancy.
I mourn our passing.
I confess this quote was posted by me. It struck me that the PCUSA may refuse to change and suffer the consequences. Parson thinks it will go where the culture goes. I also confess discernment is serious business.
First Pres. Of Sandford did not have a lot of options, but many PCUSA churches do.
Transition, change, moving forward are all words we are familiar with
and use glibly, but God is constantly challenging us to seek His will.
The question is “where do you want to be five or ten years from now?
What do you think will be the best picture of the church if it stays on the course set by PCUSA leadership.
As an senior member I realize I may have to trust a new younger generation. Mentoring the next generation is key.
Sanford has itself declined, to the point where it isn’t surprising that it can’t support a large old downtown PCUSA church. But what’s keeping other PCUSA churches going, some with even fewer members than this one had?