by Chris » Thu Mar 03, 2016 12:49 pm
Our church (CBF and SBC) has been renting office space (3 offices in an older part of the building) to a church that calls itself "multi-denominational" (but its website indicates Pentecostal ties). They hold services in another building on Saturday nights. (it has limited parking)(and our church has adequate parking on site) . They tried to get us to make cosmetic and structural changes to our sanctuary in 2011 so that they could move in and hold their services on Saturdays. We didnt buy into their plan, and we went ahead and renovated our sanctuary with brand new carpet and pews. We expanded the stage. In 2015, we used part of a bequest (about $40,000) to upgrade the sound system, and sound booth, and add a drop down electric screen. City Life Church is seizing the opportunity (we are between pastors ) to try to push its way thru the door again. They have proposed a $150,000 transformation for our church in which we would pay 60% and they would pay 40%, and they would stop paying the $833/month rent for the offices....and get "first refusal" should we ever decide to sell our church. (It's like they are hoping we will fail). They have got the interim pastor (a 30-ish man who grew up in our church), and the chairman of the Church Cabinet on board. We had an "informational" meeting last night to hear the presentation. The line I keep hearing from the interim pastor, and their pastor, and a couple of thirty-somethings in our church is that --- "Improvements to our sanctuary would be more appealing to young families**...IT'S WHAT THEY EXPECT!" REALLY. Do they really? I haven't heard of any young families who rejected our church because it looks too 1960-ish. What about us old people in our 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, who find a church WITHOUT drum cages, theatrical lighting and sound, more aesthetically appealing? Where are we supposed to go to church? So what we have is a big generational war, brought on by an outsider who stuck his nose in our business. They expect us to vote on the proposal at the next business meeting (March 16),and they expect to be worshiping in our "improved" sanctuary by Mothers' Day. Based on the discussion last night, I'd say it is a 55-45 split with those who favor slightly in the majority., Those who are skeptical of the proposal seem more worried about the financial arrangement than the fact that the aesthetics of our beautiful, newly renovated sanctuary are about to be ruined forever! Their pastor, last night "Do we have the money to go our own way and build our own church? Yes we do!" But he wants us to believe that it is a nobler goal for them to move into our building and share it with us.
Jesus paid the price for me and everybody.