By Mike Miner
First United Church, at the corner of Kent and Florence streets, sits in 87-year-old complacency. The church is more lively inside where hymns celebrating Christmas’s approach hide it’s financial troubles and the possibility of abandoning the building.
Beneath the vaulted ceiling, a congregation of about 100 stood as the procession made its way to the candle-decorated altar. The church’s minister, Sharon Moon, was phalanxed by the choir. Two ladies, dancing with fir branches, brought up the rear. In the audience, a woman prepared her french horn.
It may not be what most people expect from church, but it has given it a new lease on life.
Before Moon came to the church in 1985, the congregation consisted of 35 regulars, only one of them a child. Since then, the population has grown and throngs of children troop forward when Moon invites them so she can explain the advent.
Moon has revitalized interest, but the congregation has helped balance the books.
Last year, the church ran a deficit of $31,000. This year, with the heavy Christmas donation season still not accounted for, it has a $13,000 deficit.
Don DeGenova, chair of the church’s board of stewards, says he is confident the church will end the year without a deficit, and the revitalization, which includes a 24-per-cent increase in donations, is a result of forward thinking.
“One of the things we have always been here is visionary,” he says. “We have always been faced with challenges, and we always respond.”
The church is now in the middle of a process of deciding who it will preach to, and whether it should relocate.
“We’re trying to figure out where we’ll be in 10 years.”
They conducted a survey to find out who made up the congregation. The survey shows the majority of parishioners have come to the church in the last five years, and DeGenova says they are just reaching a point where they feel comfortable enough in the community to make regular contributions. The progressive direction has attracted younger worshippers as well as a large contingent from the gay and lesbian community.
Unfortunately, the growing population has left the church under-staffed, with only one office worker. There are other concerns as well.
“We’re outgrowing our building,” says Moon. “We have to decide if we’re going to retrofit it, or should we look for another way. Should we join with another congregation and sell the building; tear down and rebuild, or maybe not do anything.”
The congregation will sit down, starting in early December, to decide which of the options to pursue. DeGenova says the decision will be made over the next year.
“We make our decisions through spiritual discernment,” says Moon. “We gather the facts and find the direction God is leading us.”
The time will be taken to make sure what happens is right for the congregation.
Andrew Clark, chair of the official board of First United Church, says the congregation will be included in the decision-making process.
“Sharon gives us the room to do things. She’s not a control freak.”
Clark says even if the congregation decides to move or join another congregation, it will not abandon Centretown.
“That was one of the most clear things,” he says. “We’re very attached to Centretown. If we were to merge, it would be in the Centretown area.”
Clark says the majority of the parishioners come from outside of Centretown, but were attracted by the church and how it operates.
“Everybody feels welcome here,” he says. “Women feel comfortable, feminists, both men and women, and the gay and lesbian community who didn’t feel comfortable elsewhere.”
Clark stresses the complicated financial, geographic and spiritual issues affecting the decision.
“There are four other United churches nearby,” he says. “We have to consider that, as well.”
Whatever they decide, the minister says it will be because it is best for the congregation.
“If we were just looking at the financial aspect, we would have closed 10 years ago.”
The church file
The issue: First United Church’s on-going attempt to contemporize the church.
What’s new: A decision process to decide the church’s future.
What it means: The options include costly repairs, amalgamating with another congregation or abandoning it’s 87-year-old building.
What’s next: A series of committee meetings to decide which option is best.