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Church's fate 'in God's hands'
By FREDA R. SAVANA
The Intelligencer
Church's fate 'in God's hands'
By FREDA R. SAVANA
The Intelligencer After nearly 150 years, St. James Lutheran Church is facing a
financial crisis that may force it to close and its members to
worship elsewhere. Declining membership, a hefty mortgage and the rising costs
of heating and maintaining the old building in the heart of the
historic district, at Main Street and Park Avenue, have
contributed to the congregation's considerable money woes, said
Jim Karthaus, the church's treasurer. “We're giving it our best, last effort,” said Karthaus. “If
we can't raise enough we'll have to vote to hand it over to the
synod. That could come within the next couple of months. Karthaus said it's likely the synod (the church's parent
organization) would sell the building, possibly to another
church. Church members are looking for support from within as well as
in the wider community, hoping to reach a goal of some $300,000
to pay off a mortgage twice that size that it took in the late
1990s. The church borrowed more than $600,000 for a major
renovation project that restored its original tin ceiling, added
a reception area, two nurseries and a new entryway. Andy Grove, president of the church's council, said raising
the money would allow the church, the oldest in the tiny
borough, to survive. “I like to put it in God's hands,” he said. Problems started as the congregation began to shrink over the past decade. That was due in large part, said Grove, to a
change in services that shifted from traditional to
contemporary. When the church decided to move away from a traditional
Lutheran service, Grove said, many families left and membership
plummeted from its high of 175 families to the 40 or so families
it has today. “We are wonderful and love who we are,” said Karthaus, “but
the building may be too big for us.” With dwindling members “it's just not enough to cover the
mortgage, pay a full time pastor and heat the building,” he
said. Utility costs alone reach $1,000 a month. Should the church dissolve, both Grove and Karthaus said,
members could move to a Lutheran church in nearby Hilltown or
Dublin or stay together and worship in each other's homes or
another location. Pastor Jim Heckman of St. Peter's on Hilltown Pike will be
available to meet with interested members from St. James to give
an overview of the ministries at his church on Monday at 7:30
p.m. While the congregation continues to hold its Saturday and
Sunday services, it is also meeting each Tuesday night at 6:30
for prayer and conversation at the church. Regardless of whether the church continues, Grove said the
congregation is optimistic the landmark building will maintain
its historical integrity, protected by its status in the
historic district. Donations can be sent to:
St. James Lutheran Church
14 Park Ave.
Chalfont, PA 18914
For more information, call (267) 221-8223 or (215) 345-0788 Freda R. Savana can be reached at (215) 345-3061 or fsavana@phillyBurbs.com.
January 21, 2007 6:09 AM
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