Tom Arthur: To have a church building or not?
In the ancient church, a young monk would approach an elder and ask, 'Abba may I have a word?' Tom Arthur, in his first year out of seminary, seeks advice from elders in these letters. Brad Kalajainen's reply is here.
Dear Brad Kalajainen,
I’ve worshiped in a lot of different church buildings in my life. Buildings seem to run the gamut. The two internships I had in seminary show the extremes.
One summer I served at Reveille United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia. Reveille is a very large and mostly traditional church. The sanctuary had a kind of 1950’s mainline feel to it with some cathedral aspirations. Huge columns line the aisles on either side of the long and narrow sanctuary. The front of the church has several marble steps leading up to an altar on the back wall. The pulpit soars high above the congregation, and to preach in it, one should practice ahead of time walking up and down the narrow steps while holding the “skirts” of one’s robe so as not to trip. The rest of the building is full of classrooms for adults and children. The church was built on what was once a plantation and the offices are in the plantation house. It’s a thriving church.
My second internship was at a small country church in rural North Carolina: Efland United Methodist Church, a thriving small rural church. In a village of 700 people, there are 100-120 people in church on Sunday morning. If only every church had that same percentage of its town’s population! The church is mostly one room although there is a choir room and office on the back of the sanctuary. The church also owns a house that sits behind the church building and a fellowship hall across the street. It is the kind of sanctuary many brides want to be photographed in as they leave the picturesque country church.
Given the variety in church buildings, I did not know what to expect in my first appointment. I did expect to have a building. Much to my surprise, I was appointed to an eight-year-old church plant that does not. Our church worships in a school “cafetorium.” We rent office space. The church just bought a parsonage – our first piece of owned property.
As you can imagine, the amount of work that it takes to be a “nomadic” church is considerable. We unpack and pack up our “church” from a small closet in the school every Sunday morning. A crew of people shows up at 7 AM and we’re there until 1:30 PM most Sundays. We have great zeal for the mission of our church to reach out to people in our community. But after eight years of unpacking and packing our church, we’re tired of it.
Going into my sixth month at Sycamore Creek Church, I’ve now been in several conversations about whether we are going to build a building or not.
There seems to be two ideological camps in the literature. One camp believes that not have a building is an asset toward greater mission. A church is able to focus on mission rather than bricks. The other camp believes that a building provides a church with a base from which to do mission. Our church has been influenced by both schools of thought.
So here’s my question: can a church thrive in the Midwest without a building? If so, what does it look like? If not, what must we as a church do not to lose the mission in the bricks and mortar? What counsel would you give someone in my position beginning the process of helping a church to build?
Peace,
Tom Arthur
Tom Arthur is pastor of Sycamore Creek United Methodist Church in Lansing, Michigan.
bricks and mortar
Tom, you have an interesting question and one that I wish more denominational officials would explore more fully. I serve a church where we have just finished a $20+ million building restoration and new construction. As part of the restoration of a 1917 building, we had to vacate everything for nearly 2 years. The only space we had access to 24/7 was a single-wide trailer on the front lawn where our offices were housed, along with a room for meetings/small groups, etc. We then rented a theatre across the street in an old Carnegie Library. For nearly two years, all of our offerings went to mission and ministry. For nearly two years, we did not have to worry about who was going to clean or what to do with a repair. For nearly two years, our budget had the right focus - mission and ministry and not building and upkeep.
We now have a church facility that many people would consider one of the most remarkable they have ever seen. The historic building is fantastic, the fellowship hall is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, the kitchen would be the envy of some 5 star restaurants, and the list goes on and on. But, not one member will tell you that this space is the best thing about our church. Several members despise the new space because of its cost. Our budget is no longer something that shows how mission and ministry are our top financial investment. Our staff has increased because of the building but not necessarily because of the mission.
If I were planting a church, I would take the stand of a church planter here in DC who has been incredibly successful in planting a PCA church and say, "I never intend to build but always intend to be a renter." It is amazing how much energy is spent on space. Yes, we got tired of moving the cart of hymnals and the worship objects out each Sunday. But the time invested in that is nothing compared to what is invested in maintaining a building.
I do not write from the Midwest - but these are my two cents from the center of the nation's Capital.
We do not need a building to be the church!
Blessings to you!!
Wonder
Hey Donna, well-put, thanks. I wonder though about the shaping of imagination that happens in a specifically ecclesially-shaped building. Winston Churchill's line, cliched though it may be, is true: "We shape our buildings and then they shape us." I wrote about Jim Haddix at All Souls UCC in Bangor. That church has a marvelous stained glass window of Jesus drawing the children to him. He told the congregation recently that he knows all the conventional reasons their youth program is so strong (200 kids, 600 adults). They have a great children's minister, they provide resources, etc. But he said he thinks ultimately it's because they've been contemplating that stained glass window all these decades. That's a level far deeper than argument that shapes for faithfulness. Of course it's expensive and can be a drain on mission, and it raises the bar on building well...
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