A cathedral gets real
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that the cathedral for the Diocese of West Tennessee is going through some belt tightening:
"There's a myth that the cathedral is crashing and burning, but it's not going under, it's not closing, and it's not for sale," Bishop Don Johnson said recently in an exclusive interview.Read it here.
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At issue is an aging and shrinking congregation, resulting in diminished annual giving. And with fewer members, thenumber of clergy and staffers needed to serve the congregation decreased.
From a peak membership of around 900 in the 1960s, St. Mary's now counts about 400 and averages 140 at weekly worship services. Half the congregation is age 60 and above and more than three-fourths are 50 and older.
To help cover expenses, the cathedral has dipped into its endowment fund, but that's not a sustainable solution.
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"We made a conscious decision to be transparent about the financial condition of the cathedral in this parish and beyond. It must be able to address the needs of its Sunday worshipers as well as the hundreds who come here for special diocesan events," Johnson said. "Truth-telling is important, but it comes with a price. We've gone through the 'Let's get real' phase and now we're in the 'What's next' phase."
See, also, today's story in The Living Church about the closing of the cathedral in Diocese of Western Michigan.
I served in Memphis both before and after the Diocese of West Tennessee was divided from the Diocese of Tennessee. St. Mary's is a lovely cathedral. It is also a congregation with an important heritage, especially to those of us working in health care. St. Mary's was the congregation and operational center for Constance and her Companions, the Martyrs of Memphis. I maintain that they and their colleagues in other communions are the only martyrs who died because they were providing health care to the most desparate. In these days when ethics in the event of pandemic or other disaster is an important topic, and the losses of Katrina are still in our minds and our headlines, the witness of the Martyrs of Memphis remains important and relevant for us.
Marshall Scott
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July 25, 2007 10:49 AM