Fewer pews = more worshipers?
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- November
- 7
I mentioned recently that a colleague came across an ad on Craigslist for a bunch of church pews. On sale in White Plains.
I contacted the seller—who turned out to be someone I knew, the Rev. Gawain de Leeuw, rector of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.
It turned out that the removal of several rows of pews from the front of the big, 80-year-old church was an important symbolic and practical move for St. Bart’s—one of many mainline churches up and down the LoHud that face highly uncertain futures because there aren’t many folks on Sundays.
Back in the ‘50s, St. Bart’s might get 1,000 people on Sunday for several services. The church is located in the residential Highlands neighborhood of White Plains and lots of the professionals living there were Episcopalians.
Today, St. Bart’s can expect to see 50, maybe 60, people on Sunday for two services.
Led by de Leeuw, St. Bart’s is making a concerted, high-energy effort to turn things around, which I write about in today’s Journal News/LoHud.com.
A first step was taking out the pews.
People used to be spread out across the vast sanctuary. When visitors would pop by, the place looked empty.
So the pews were removed. A new altar was set up at the front of the church floor. And pews were placed on either side of the altar.
The idea is to create a more intimate worship space that will please people who are already coming—and attract potential newcomers who stick their heads in the doors.
Some will scoff at the idea, no doubt. Time will tell if it works.
De Leeuw (that’s him at the bottom) told me that studies show that half of the 150,000 people living within a three-mile radius of the church do not attend a house of worship. So the big question is how to attract and hold onto some of those suburbanites who feel no need (or not enough of a need) to pray as part of a religious congregation.
Like a lot of Episcopal churches in New York, St. Bart’s is a very theologically liberal and open place.
“I believe that any religion that reflects God’s love can be a true religion,” de Leeuw told me.
That’s a message that may appeal to some unchurched folks, certainly not to all. But some would be a start.
Time will tell…
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 9:41 am by Gary Stern.
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Category: Creating intimate worship space, Rev. Gawain de Leeuw, Shrinking mainline churches, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in White Plains
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
Hi, I am a former Episcopalian. Not that I had any choice in the matter as my dad was the local Episcopal priest. I knew all this god stuff was hooey when I was seven, but sensing this scam was what put food on my family’s table, had the good sense to keep my mouth shut. I escaped when I went off to college, and except for having my dad perform my marriage ceremony (good form, and I had my choice of dates, after all), have never gone to church again, except for other’s weddings and funerals (good form and all that). I have never seen any reason not to be atheist, but only in recent years have I become vocal about it, convinced that religion is a terrible poison that has caused the bulk of the world’s ills. Still, occasionally I miss the high Anglican service – it was quite pretty, after all.