On Sunday, the congregation of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Toledo’s Old West End will celebrate its last service, after which the congregation will merge with that of Trinity Episcopal Church.
I wrote about the church’s transition for tomorrow’s paper. It’s sad to see such a beautiful old church close its doors, but St. Mark’s demographics and financial situation made the decision unavoidable.
On the other hand, the members will be able to continue as a community after they merge with Trinity. It seems like a sensible solution, albeit a difficult one.
I’ve done a number of stories about churches closing. It’s always a difficult step for the faithful. Churches are a big part of their lives, especially for the important milestones — baptisms, weddings, funerals. There is an intimate connection that runs deep.
I remember a Lutheran minister telling me that churches have life cycles, just as people do. They are born, they grow, they reach maturity, they get old, and they die.
That obviously is true for some churches but hopefully not for all of them.
I think churches are more like companies than human beings. Some businesses get started, grow and prosper. Others fail miserably. The best ones reinvent themselves to meet people’s needs, without compromising their core values.
If they are true to their mission and able to adapt, they can live forever. But it’s not easy and not many will manage to reach that level. But it can be done — unlike the limitations of human frailty.
