At my first congregation we had the experience of the Queensland Dept of Health closing the site – we had a church, child care centre, and parsonage there – and then a summary closure in a matter of hours – everything shut (except for the parsonage) – due to the discovery of unhealthy levels of heavy metals in the ground. We became unwilling national front page news. And so began the process of moving everything, tearing down, rebuilding the church and everything else on another site.
My second congregation was still recovering from recent arson attacks on many churches in the town when I arrived. The Lutheran church was badly damaged particularly the sanctuary, vestry, and offices. The church was known for its stunning woodwork and it was rebuilt and the charred remains of the altar were sculptured into the new altar – loaves of bread and bunches of grapes – exquisite craftsmanship on display after the destruction.
As a District Vice President in Queensland, I had the task, on two occasions, of conducting the closing of a church. It is hard going when the furnishings and vessels are removed with individual ‘thank you, Lord’ for their use, and when the final closing statements are made but probably hardest of all – I heard gasps, sighs, and quiet tears – was when the door was closed for the last time and then locked. And both times I remember turning round with the key in my hand and looking … at the church – the people of God.
When I arrived at Ascension, there was discussion in the first few years about what to do – stay renting or buy and/or build something of our own. We opted to rent – and we’re still in Brandon – “a home for some and a whistle stop for others”. My pastoral experiences see places as more transitory but here in the UK I have appreciated the sense of place – and that often involves a building. And with any building comes work – maintenance, repairs, refitting perhaps to meet different needs to when it was built, and more. But should the building have a leaky roof (something common in the ELCE unfortunately) or other problems, that, in itself, doesn’t mean a leaky church for what is essential for a church is Jesus and people around him. What we see are people gathering around words, water, bread and wine – and, yes, usually in a building.
Of course, we should look after the fabric of our church buildings but whether they are beautiful and pristine or cracked and needing some work, they are not the heart or centre of our faith. Buildings can come and go – though let’s keep them going of course! – but when we’re talking about the Church, let’s remember that we are talking about God’s people gathered around Jesus to receive what Jesus wants to give us so that we can go back out into the world and share … what it means when we say, ‘yes, we go to church’.
GS