Calvary United Methodist ChurchWhat a shocker! Cavalary United Methodist Church will close.
City Manager Michael Bornstein says it is because people are migrating to the western communities and the city is not as "filled up like we were 20 or 30 years ago with people who live here and have their lives centered around Lake Worth."
Can't we just tell it like it is? Clearly, the Church is dying. Church attendance is down all over America, not just Lake Worth. We have an over abundance of churches in Lake Worth--at least 30 within the city limits. Lake Worth churches.
We may be an artsy and funky city as Michael Bronstein says, but there is no re-birth going on--just people doing things they consider "cooler." According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, more than 40 percent of Americans "say" they go to church weekly. As it turns out, however, less than 20 percent are actually in church. In other words, more than 80 percent of Americans are finding more fulfilling things to do on weekends. Here, it's the beach or water sports or an art festival somewhere.
Many people don't have the money to support a church with weekly donations and they are rejecting the teachings, with younger people moving away from formal religion. Some actually attend church just for the free breakfast that might be served or the free loaf of bread. Lake Worth is predominately made up of younger people some of whom feel the church has been an obstacle to their life style. This is a progressive city and as such, these folks with their liberal influence are rejecting even the idea of Christianity and are offended that churches do not accept gay marriage. We are seeing the results of this rejection even with some believing that the sheer mention of Christianity is offensive. Churches have been struggling for quite some time and this one even was feeding the homeless. Now they're broke. That's where we are.
And now we have a Candy Lane Parade instead of a Christmas Parade in Lake Worth.
Do we have any idea what will happen to the property once the church closes? It is in a key location and I would hate to see it start to look run down.
ReplyDeleteThat is a real shame, but you are right, we have way too many churches in our City, it is no wonder that they are struggling, they are competing for people. This is happening everywhere not just in Lake Worth.
ReplyDeleteAs for the parade, even though I am religious, I don't think a City sponsored parade should favor one religion over another. We are a multi-cultural city and its best to be inclusive and welcoming to all. I like the parade theme too, its fun.
Christianity is being made irrelevant. The left wing crazies are doing this. It is the break-down of the American family. Include Obama in the mix.
ReplyDeleteThe dumbest people in the world comment on this blog. the left wing crazies are destroying Christianity? How about maybe priests raping little children and getting away with it is driving people away and destroying Christianity.
ReplyDeleteInclude Obama in the mix? Why? Is Obama making Christianity irrelevant by publicly claiming to be a Christian? Christianity is irrelevant because it's based on fairy tales. that has nothing to do with the left or Obama. You should have picked a different fairy tale to worship.
wait until you see how many churches close after they lose their tax exempt status.
ReplyDeletePersonal attacks won't cut it here, anonymous. Is it just Christians you have a problem with? Churches? What about mosques or Temples? Any problem with any of them? Just Christians?
ReplyDelete12:49. You have let us all know who is crazy here. Thanks for clarifying.
ReplyDeleteToo bad that's a lousy spot for a hotel.
ReplyDeleteNO houses of worship should be exempt from property taxes. Not to pick on the Catholic Church, but it's real estate holdings are so huge they defy valuation. Regarding this property, demolish the "modern" church and repurpose the historic Methodist chapel behind it. It would make a nice community center.
Yeah, maybe the city can throw in the cost of the property into the general obligation bond.
ReplyDelete