Think About It. Church Clusters. As you may know, I’m new in town. Mary and I already knew there were lots of things to love in Wabash. After only a few weeks of meeting new people in a variety of circumstances did we realize how many churches serve this extraordinary community. It reminded me of an essay written by a dear theologian friend of mine. Without listing the litany of impressive credentials let’s just acknowledge that our guest Think writer today is William Benallack.
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Retail stores and shops are built in clusters in order to increase foot traffic and thereby enhance sales. At least so I have been told. One would tend to believe it by the existence of malls and shopping centers.
This merchandising principle led me to consider that it is not unusual for churches to build close to one another. I live on St. Joseph Highway in Delta Township. Driving from Waverly Road west on St. Joe, one will encounter church after church. There are three Lutheran churches within one-half mile of each other. There is a Seventh day Adventist church and school close to a Bible church. There is a large Methodist Church which is now for sale. Conservative Christianity dominates the churches on St Joe. Nevertheless, they find enough differences to remain separate, build buildings, hire staff and carry out programs independent of the neighbor congregations.
The intersection or Miller Road and Waverly on the south side of Lansing is another cluster of churches. There are five or six churches within one-half mile of each other. One of them is a church that has failed twice in the last twenty years. Two of those are Baptist churches directly across the street from each other. Because my ordination is Baptist, I wonder about those two Baptist churches. Do their ministers talk with each other?
In downtown Lansing just north of the capital there are three churches which share the same back fence. There is a Baptist church next to a Methodist church next to an Episcopal church. Just east of this cluster there is a Presbyterian church. On the south side of the capital a few years ago there was a large Congregational church which burned. It can be reasoned that these churches were attempting to gain identity as a ministry to the capital city. But that time is over now. Two of the three on the north side have suffered significant financial problems. One congregation was forced to sell its building. In those times of financial difficulty do you suppose that there was ever a conversation among those three churches about merger?
Is it possible that the juxtaposition of these church buildings in some way enhanced the attendance or the membership of any of the individual churches? Do you suppose that a family getting out of its car at the Berean Baptist church, looking across the street to see another family getting out of their car at a Baptist Church, might consider that there are many theological concepts and congregational practices that are mutual?
For eight years I worked in an ecumenical setting. We carried out projects that were planned and funded by groups of churches. Admittedly, they were liberal churches for the most part, unafraid to speak openly with their competitors. Church councils have done some good work. Ultimately, that work is dependent on those local churches which live next door to each other, but do not talk with each other.
Somewhere there is an answer to the proliferation of church buildings and staffing. The answer will involve a clear understanding of the place of religion in our society. It will take into consideration the varied understandings of the nature of Christianity. It will be broad enough and inclusive enough to allow participation of liturgical and non-liturgical congregations.
Some years ago I lived in a town of 9000 people. There were probably eight or 10 churches in town. Four of those churches were Lutheran, two were Roman Catholic, and two were Baptist. Each month I was given the opportunity to speak on the local radio station. On the assumption that most of the folks listening to me had some idea of a life after death in a heaven, I asked the question many times whether, in that heavenly place, they would be able to share their lives with folks from one of the other churches in our town. No one ever responded to the question.
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Perhaps we might ask ourselves if the houses of worship in Wabash also come in Church Clusters. Think About It.
Looks like over 40 churches in Wabash.
Some months ago, I offered this reference to today’s author.