At one time, a downtown church accommodated 2,000 plus members each Sunday. Then, in 1979, it closed. That’s the year our family moved to Kansas City. I don’t recall hearing anything about it closing. I suspect it was not sudden, but a gradual transition of community and the ways of “doing” church. The closing of the church not only left a big hole in a once vibrant community; it also left an enormous, four story, empty building — more than 36,000 square feet. Empty buildings deteriorate rapidly and tend to spawn vandalism and crime.
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The Kansas City Star tells the delightful story of the renovation of this magnificent facility. It won’t be a church — the church is people not buildings. However, like a church, it will have a mission, a mission to its community. It will “now house community-service-based organizations aimed at renewing its once vibrant neighborhood.” The transformation, which has taken more than 30 years, is almost complete. May God direct and bless its future.
Less than a week earlier, The Star reported another church story from just over the state line. The final chapters of this story are yet to be written; but, whatever the outcome, it will be far less pleasing. Confused and frustrated by the decisions of their national leaders, some members decided the church should withdraw from the parent body. As you might expect, not everyone agreed. That being the case, it would seem wise to simply form another congregation. The question then became — if another congregation is born, who gets the present facility, a building of considerable value.
The congregation was unable to resolve this issue among themselves; so, in typical American fashion, someone sued someone and the matter is now in the hands of civil authorities. A judge, who may not even be a believer, will determine the outcome. Oh, my!
For some time now, I have been searching for the Lord’s message to me in these events. The troubles of these churches are microcosms of church difficulties. Churches are born with dreams of serving God. At first that service may be simple and rewarding. Then, things change. Service becomes harder. People change. When serving God becomes too difficult, we seem to run or fight.
The Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to difficulty, has this word for us church folk: We “can do all things through Christ.” Amen?