Sunday, September 23, 2001
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Sunday, September 23, 2001 |
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There's a church for eveyone in Fayette By CAROLYN CARY
Writing about 150 churches has certainly been interesting. The project began over four years ago, with the advent of our Sunday edition. I have always tried to be ecumenical, that is, work in a church from all the faiths as the project went along. There are approximately 106 churches in Fayette County, but only about 80 of these responded to my inquiry. When I mentioned to one minister that I didn't understand why the small churches did not respond, he said, "Carolyn, you just answered your own question, that's why they're small." Point taken. One of the first churches I spoke with seemed only interested in ushering in people in the community to teach them the Bible and that was all. It is my belief that is only one third of the equation. I believe the Lord wants us to take that knowledge out into our community and the world and do something with it. When speaking with this church several years later I learned its membership had somewhat dwindled. I wanted to tell the minister just why that happened, but I felt he wouldn't grasp it. Conversely, the number of churches who have members, both adults and teenagers, who travel around the world evangelizing boggles my mind. Many hold Bible studies and many just repair or build new churches. This seems to hold true in congregations that number 200 to those that number 2,000. I have had to add the names of several countries to my computer dictionary that I not only had to look up how to spell them, but find out where in the world they were. Unfortunately, a number of the adults worked for airlines and those free passes will be in short supply for awhile. I've learned a lot about faiths I knew nothing about. Having been reared a Methodist but growing up with Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic friends, I was not ignorant of the basic tenets of those faiths. However, when it came time to write about the Seventh Day Adventists and the Church of the Latter Day Saints and the Christian Scientists, I really had to do some deep research. Being a purist, and a member of the community in which these faiths lived, I didn't want to shortchange them or pass out misinformation. I spent many hours on the Internet, along with asking questions to be sure I got it right. By writing week after week, I could see trends that I otherwise would not have realized. Many new congregations begin by building a family life center, which is just one big room that can accommodate both worship services and sports events for its youth. The general plan seems to be that in seven or eight years, it will then have enough members to build a structured sanctuary. Having been reared in a structured worship setting, sitting in a room that reminds me of sitting in a gym would not interest me. Young people today, though, realize that economically that they must begin with a gym. A number of congregations are adding a memorial garden on their land. Often the initial funding comes from a family and begins as a bench in a quiet place, surrounded by flowers. One church has built a cascading waterfall and another will create a walking trail around a lake on its property. All in all, a nice way to gather one's thoughts away from utility lines and the sound of heavy traffic. I've had three ministers to stand me up for an interview; two of them called me back to apologize and set up another meeting. I reaffirmed a meeting with the third one, sat in his office for 45 minutes waiting, and finally left my card in the middle of his desk. Evidently having an article in a Sunday newspaper advertising his church was not high on his priority list. I shall continue to visit churches from time to time, especially if something special is happening. I have been to a couple of them so many times I believe they feel I'm a member! If you have not found a church you're comfortable with, then you must not have been trying in Fayette County. Trust me, there is one here for you.
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