COAL TOWNSHIP - When the congregation of St. John's United Methodist Church arrived for worship this past Sunday, a centerpiece of the church was noticeably absent. A nearly 7-foot tall mural of the Lord knocking on a door - a reference to Revelation 3:20 - was gone from behind the altar.
Several church members had moved the mural, created in 1944, to the parish hall, catty-corner from the church across Arch Street. For many, the absence of the mural was the first confirmation that the church would soon be closed for good.
Palm Sunday worship will be the last service held in the 103-year-old building on the southeast corner of Arch Street and Eagle Avenue. The financial hardship of maintaining a parsonage, a parish hall and a church with a two-story addition was just too much for the congregation of approximately 60 to handle.
The Rev. Karyn Fisher, pastor, said the decision to close the doors was heart-breaking, but will allow the congregation to become a missionary church as it continues to operate from the parish hall.
"We wanted to free up money and use it for God's purpose," Fisher said. "We want to send mission teams to devastated areas and send our youths to church camps."
Lacking conveniences
The church, built in 1910, and the addition, dedicated on Oct. 5, 1924, is without a kitchen and is not handicap accessible, limiting use of the building, Fisher said.
To add those features and to repair several structural problems would have cost at least $100,000, she said.
The parish hall, about half the size of the church, was constructed in 1963 and is equipped to handle the modern-day needs of the church.
In preparation of the move, the entire hall was refurbished, including painting walls and cleaning the wood-arched ceiling. Pictures, memorabilia and pews were also moved into the hall.
The church building will be put up for sale.
Public welcome
Palm Sunday service will be held at 9 a.m., followed by a procession from the church to the parish hall. All are welcome to attend.
"We want to celebrate the whole life of the church," Fisher said. "We are grieving, but want to celebrate all of the children that were baptized here, all the weddings that were here and all the people that were buried from here."