237 years of Ministry ended in Florida

[cmodrmac]

In the last month in my area of Florida USA - 3 Churches closed adding up to an end of a total of 237 years of service and ministry-The first Presbyterian Church which is located next to the Headquarters of the Church of Scientology closed when membership reached 4 attending Sunday services-

The First Church of Christ Scientist closed as there were less than 10 members -half of whom were elderly and ill (some issue as they do not visit Doctors)

and St. Pauls Methodist Church closed with 17 members who were unable to finacially meet the demands of a decaying property

THe Baptists continue to thrive and build new Christian schools and mega churches -by far the largest denomination-

A slow tsunami is percolating thru the Southrn states of the USA and the Baptists have figured out how to ride the wave well

the roman catholics have done well althugh are struggling to support 2 high schools-they have dealt well with inceasing spanish services -many Parishes having only 1 english service

it is interesting to see how it all will play out

 

[andrewstx]

For some reason I don’t understand the mainline Protestant churches are weakening (I consider Episcopalians main line Protestants). And fundamentalists are strengthening. And also Latin Catholics. I see this all as a part of the American trend to the political right bringing religion in.

And of course Mainline Protestants are considered rightly or wrongly to be the four letter word, “liberal”.

 

[bolinstephen]

I was Presbyterian for 18 years before becoming Roman Catholic. I left because they started to ordain homosexuals and the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is completely unbiblical and unfounded. I became Catholic after a long search (4 years) because I wanted to become part of the Church that Christ founded and I fell in love with her history and people.

I have talked with a lot of my Protestant friends and, like I used to, they don’t see much of a difference when it comes to the salvific effects of the differences between the various protestant communities. On protestant community could save souls just as well as any other, as long s they had Jesus and the Bible. Most of them just think the same way about Catholicism.

Yet, not all Protestant communities are created equal. I have the least patience for those communities who know their history, yet continue in their protests (Episcopalian and Lutherans) and those who just flat out lie about their history (Mormons, Church of Christ). I have more patience for those who don’t know their history because they were never taught to care about the history of the Church.

 

[808Catholic]

I was Presbyterian for 18 years before becoming Roman Catholic. I left because they started to ordain homosexuals and the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is completely unbiblical and unfounded. I became Catholic after a long search (4 years) because I wanted to become part of the Church that Christ founded and I fell in love with her history and people.

I have talked with a lot of my Protestant friends and, like I used to, they don’t see much of a difference when it comes to the salvific effects of the differences between the various protestant communities. On protestant community could save souls just as well as any other, as long s they had Jesus and the Bible. Most of them just think the same way about Catholicism.

Yet, not all Protestant communities are created equal. I have the least patience for those communities who know their history, yet continue in their protests (Episcopalian and Lutherans) and those who just flat out lie about their history (Mormons, Church of Christ). I have more patience for those who don’t know their history because they were never taught to care about the history of the Church.

Welcome home.

 

[House_Harkonnen]

In the last month in my area of Florida USA - 3 Churches closed adding up to an end of a total of 237 years of service and ministry-The first Presbyterian Church which is located next to the Headquarters of the Church of Scientology closed when membership reached 4 attending Sunday services-

The First Church of Christ Scientist closed as there were less than 10 members -half of whom were elderly and ill (some issue as they do not visit Doctors)

and St. Pauls Methodist Church closed with 17 members who were unable to finacially meet the demands of a decaying property

THe Baptists continue to thrive and build new Christian schools and mega churches -by far the largest denomination-

A slow tsunami is percolating thru the Southrn states of the USA and the Baptists have figured out how to ride the wave well

the roman catholics have done well althugh are struggling to support 2 high schools-they have dealt well with inceasing spanish services -many Parishes having only 1 english service

it is interesting to see how it all will play out

Congregations have lifespans just like people. But still it’s sad to see a church close down.

 

[cmodrmac]

Stephen

we are not protesting at all -at least on the eclesiastical front-we do know our history (in my case the Anglicans)-we do protest against injustice / inequality / religous prosecution/and many other issues

so do not expend psychic energy over us -I and most of my fellow Episcopalians respect the Pope and bear no ill feelings at all at the Roman catholic Church-

the term Protestant is used now mostly as an identyfing lable = Christian-non Orthodox-not of the Roman Church -I like the term via media myself for our Church

I am delighted you have found a home in the Roman catholic Church-as you know the the Episcopal Church receives many former Roman catholics-we welcome them-if they leave and return to the Roman catholic Church we wish them well-

 

[commenter]

In the last month in my area of Florida USA - 3 Churches closed adding up to an end of a total of 237 years of service and ministry-The first Presbyterian Church which is located next to the Headquarters of the Church of Scientology closed when membership reached 4 attending Sunday services-

The First Church of Christ Scientist closed as there were less than 10 members -half of whom were elderly and ill (some issue as they do not visit Doctors)

and St. Pauls Methodist Church closed with 17 members who were unable to finacially meet the demands of a decaying property

THe Baptists continue to thrive and build new Christian schools and mega churches -by far the largest denomination-

A slow tsunami is percolating thru the Southrn states of the USA and the Baptists have figured out how to ride the wave well

the roman catholics have done well althugh are struggling to support 2 high schools-they have dealt well with inceasing spanish services -many Parishes having only 1 english service

it is interesting to see how it all will play out

Churches that duplicate the ideas and trends of the secular culture, both good and bad, will continue shrinking. If the Sunday sermon and Sunday school is mostly the same as the daily newspaper and public school, why bother? Baptists are growing because there is less real competition.
But lets say a prayer of thanks for the rich heritage of those churches that closed, and the people who were still attending, and continue to need a church home.