Members of First Christian Church voted on Oct. 15 with 73 in favor and 5 opposed to authorize the board of trustees to sell its Great Depression-era property at 16 E. Platte Ave.
“I think it’s sad we’ve come to this, but the congregation’s not going away; the congregation is going to survive this,” said the Rev. Gaylord Hatler, senior pastor emeritus.
Like many mainline congregations across the nation, COVID-19 was not a friend to large, older churches, many of which saw both membership and financial contributions decline precipitously.
First Christian’s problems began before the pandemic, though.
Leaders had an analysis of the building done in 2019, with a recommendation that it would be in the church’s best interest to sell, said Greg Hock, chair of the board of trustees.
“The costs of maintaining the building are increasing big time,” he…
