Churches need to see more of the faithful – liherald.com
Posted By admin on October 15, 2022
In the days of ancient Rome, philosopher Seneca the Younger said that every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. And thats exactly what Valley Stream Presbyterian Church is facing as it says goodbye to its longtime pastor, the Rev. Kymberley Clemons-Jones.Its not that its simply a time to move on for the good pastor. Instead, she feels she has no other choice.My salary, you know, is a hit to the congregation, Clemons-Jones said. Its just something that we have to worry about every two weeks.Eliminating her salary would give the South Central Avenue church a little room to breathe financially, but it also means losing a pastor who, over the course of nearly 15 years, increased the size of the congregation four times over. Yet, the Presbyterian churchs woes are hardly unique. While Covid-19 has exacerbated a lot of these issues, religious institutions have been under significant financial strain in recent years. Churches and synagogues have been sold, congregations scattered or merged with other communities, staff cut.While there are a number of factors involved in all of this, the one that stands out the most is also the one that might be the hardest to fix: Many just arent joining their faithful brethren seeking to visit houses of worship.Last year, for the first time in its 80-year history, Gallup found that more people didnt belong to a church, synagogue or mosque than did. Just 47 percent of those polled frequented a religious institution in 2020, according to researchers, compared with 50 percent in 2018 and a whopping 70 percent in 1999 a number that had remained mostly consistent since 1937. Church membership has dropped because the number of people expressing no religious preference has been on the rise, Gallup found. The portion of Americans who didnt identify with any specific religion grew from 8 percent in the late 1990s to 1 in 5 today.Yet waning faith isnt the only culprit here. That same Gallup poll also revealed a significant drop in church membership even among those who did identify with a faith. Between 1998 and 2000, three-quarters of religious Americans belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. In the years leading up to the pandemic, that number had fallen to 60 percent.That ultimately leaves churches like Valley Stream Presbyterian in the lurch. People are still afraid to come out, Clemons-Jones said. Our tithes and offerings have taken such a huge hit.Valley Stream Presbyterian has served parishioners for nearly a century. Church leaders are scrambling to make the transition from having a pastor to not having one as smooth as possible, but it wont be easy. While religious institutions offer their communities a range of services and activities from youth outreach to food pantries to other charitable work the spiritual leader still remains the central focus of each of them. Without that leader, an already struggling institution inches that much closer to non-existence.The beauty of America is that its a country where all of us are free to believe, or not believe, what we want. But for those who do still believe a segment of our population that is still in the majority lets not forget the very institutions that are the bedrock of our faith. Valley Stream Presbyterian may very well pull through this, just as it has past challenges. So many houses of worship arent so fortunate, yet we can create a new beginning from some other beginnings end simply by showing up.
Read the rest here:
Churches need to see more of the faithful - liherald.com
- Park Synagogue, Cory United to hold MLK Jr. Day commemoration - Cleveland Jewish News - January 6th, 2023
- Ice Cream Factory, The Court Hotel and The Old Synagogue set for thrilling New Years Eve celebrations - PerthNow - December 21st, 2022
- NJ Synagogue Threat: FBI Says Credible Information Developed NBC New York - December 11th, 2022
- Video shows man making bigoted remarks at Bloomfield Twp. synagogue - Detroit Free Press - December 11th, 2022
- Two men, one a descendant of Holocaust survivor, indicted in connection with threat to attack NYC synagogue - CNN - December 11th, 2022
- Michigan man charged after threatening synagogue-goers yelled antisemitic invective during arraignment - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - December 7th, 2022
- AA Synagogue - November 24th, 2022
- How One Jewish Groups Tweet Surveillance Uncovered a Synagogue Plot - The New York Times - November 24th, 2022
- Tree of Life - November 21st, 2022
- Jewish Community Security Organization in UK Says It Discovered N.Y. Synagogue Threats - HS Today - HSToday - November 21st, 2022
- Welcome to Edgware United Synagogue - November 16th, 2022
- New Jersey man accused of sending online threats to attack a synagogue and Jewish people, federal prosecutor says - CNN - November 11th, 2022
- I Let My Son Be an Extra on Maisel on the Holiest Day of the Jewish Year - Kveller.com - October 19th, 2022
- Why a new program aiming to fight anti-Zionism among Reform Jews is bound to fail - Mondoweiss - October 19th, 2022
- Reeling from the loss of her mom, this rabbi created an online community for healing - St. Louis Jewish Light - October 19th, 2022
- Slovak Who Attacked Gay Bar Credits Buffalo Shooter with Giving Him 'Final Nudge' - HS Today - HSToday - October 19th, 2022
- OPINION: Let's make this the year we end paid High Holiday tickets J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley: October 14-20, 2022 - Sedona.biz - October 15th, 2022
- Why Conspiracy Theorists Always Land on the Jews - The Atlantic - October 15th, 2022
- Religion: Clergy strive to reconcile politically divided congregations | Journal-Courier - Jacksonville Journal-Courier - October 8th, 2022
- Huntsville's Temple B'nai Sholom encourages the community to visit the historic synagogue - WZDX - September 29th, 2022
- The synagogue is in the street: On Yom Kippur, Tel Aviv shows another side of itself - Forward - September 29th, 2022
- A Long Island synagogues renovations uncover a massive work of art - Forward - September 29th, 2022
- Synagogues exit pandemic with reflection, determination and hope for the future - Ynetnews - September 29th, 2022
- For the Sin We Have Sinned by Making People Feel Unwelcome at Synagogues - Jewish Exponent - September 29th, 2022
- The tragedy of Jews who can't stand with Israel - JNS.org - September 29th, 2022
- Fellowship in Their Golden Years - International Fellowship of Christians and Jews - September 29th, 2022
- Aurora rabbi joins other faith leaders in call for peace and progress - Daily Herald - September 29th, 2022
- Worshiper stabbed to death outside Dimona synagogue after asking suspect to be quiet - The Times of Israel - September 27th, 2022
- Paxton Works to Safeguard First Amendment Protections for Religious Group Facing Illegal Discrimination - Texas Attorney General (.gov) - September 27th, 2022
- Date, fast times, meaning behind Yom Kippur and what celebrations involve - iNews - September 27th, 2022
- Finding Refuge from War and Persecution in Connecticut's Quiet Corner - UConn Today - University of Connecticut - September 27th, 2022
- 'Sense of accomplishment': Synagogue recruits 163 Torah readers from one Rosh Hashanah to another - Daily Herald - September 25th, 2022
- So, whats up with all that kissing in synagogue? (No, not the people the Torah!) - Forward - September 25th, 2022
- The Top 10 Secrets of the Eldridge Street Synagogue and Museum in NYC - Untapped New York - September 25th, 2022
- Police increase patrols at Long Island synagogues, temples ahead of High Holy Days - CBS New York - September 25th, 2022
- Pandemic's aftermath and economic crisis have some synagogues rethinking their membership fees - eJewish Philanthropy - September 25th, 2022
- 'Exactly the spiritual leader that we wanted': Rabbi Meeka Simerly to lead her first Rosh Hashana at Havre de Grace's Temple Adas Shalom - Baltimore... - September 25th, 2022
- After 30 years, Or Shalom of S.F. finally has a home of its own J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 25th, 2022
- Traces of local Jewish history found by native of Lancaster - Lancaster Eagle Gazette - September 25th, 2022
- Torah Sisters bond to piece together Jewish history - The Boston Globe - September 25th, 2022
- Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley: September 30-October 6, 2022 - Sedona.biz - September 25th, 2022
- Bnai Jeshurun synagogue takes lox off menu, citing "values" - Quartz - September 13th, 2022
- The Liturgy of the Word: Listening to Christ - Relevant Radio - September 13th, 2022
- Mount Kisco Hebrew Congregation Welcomes New Rabbi And Family - Chappaqua, NY Patch - September 13th, 2022
- From Darkness to Light seeks to battle antisemitism and hate with art - thejewishchronicle.net - September 13th, 2022
- FROM OUR ARCHIVES: High Holiday ads from days days of yore J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 13th, 2022
- Congregation Beth Shalom celebrates 100th anniversary | The Latest from WDEL News | wdel.com - 1150AM/101.7FM WDEL - September 13th, 2022
- We need a louder and broader Jewish voice - Religion News Service - September 13th, 2022
- Cruz to introduce bill adding safety improvements, mental health professionals at schools - CBS DFW - September 13th, 2022
- How we mourned and celebrated historic royal occasions - Jewish News - September 13th, 2022
- Plea negotiation to be held for 18-year-old accused of killing his father in Deltona - WESH 2 Orlando - September 13th, 2022
- Who knows the king? - Jewish Insider - September 13th, 2022
- Exploring Ancient Roots Of Romaniote Jews In Greece - I24NEWS - i24NEWS - September 13th, 2022
- Holocaust drama, The Interview, takes the stage this weekend - Dayton Daily News - September 13th, 2022
- An urgent call during Kol Nidre: The time this top prosecutor had to work on Yom Kippur - Forward - September 13th, 2022
- King Charles III and the Jews - aish.com - Aish.com - September 13th, 2022
- Daily Kickoff: The Facebook exec showing rabbis and others the metaverse - Jewish Insider - September 13th, 2022
- Deep Dive | More Jews Murdered in France - Moment Magazine - September 13th, 2022
- New Museum Shares the Story of the Jewish People Like Never Before - CBN.com - September 6th, 2022
- In the Spirit: Proper preparation always pays off - The Daily News of Newburyport - September 6th, 2022
- Editorial: Are Catholics key to the Tree of Life shooting jury? - TribLIVE - September 6th, 2022
- Business: Old Town Cape unveils 2022 Xmas ornament (9/6/22) - Southeast Missourian - September 6th, 2022
- What I learned about the Holocaust playing a game called Gestapo - Forward - September 6th, 2022
- Amid water crisis, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, makes bat mitzvah disaster plans - Forward - September 4th, 2022
- NY synagogues looming demise highlights Conservative Judaisms struggles to survive - The Times of Israel - August 12th, 2022
- Charlottesvilles Jewish community uses dialogue to combat white hate, 5 years after Unite the Right - WBUR News - August 12th, 2022
- Two very Jewish stories, separated by more than 3,000 years - Forward - August 12th, 2022
- Jewish people are afraid as antisemitism rises, but fear will not paralyze us | Opinion - Tennessean - August 12th, 2022
- Providence in the West | Opinion - South Florida Sun Sentinel - August 12th, 2022
- Tree of Life hires Brownstein- POLITICO - POLITICO - August 6th, 2022
- How Mass Shootings Have Rattled The American Jewish Community - Newsy - August 6th, 2022
- New Kids' and YA Books: Week of August 8, 2022 - Publishers Weekly - August 6th, 2022
- ARCHIVES: Bemoaning the state of Jewish education today, a history J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 6th, 2022
- Stephen: Spirit-given boldness and forgiveness in action - Leawood - Church of the Resurrection - August 6th, 2022
- LGBTQ Jewish leaders step up to combat monkeypox, stigmatization J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 6th, 2022
- Deaths announcements for the week of Aug. 5, 2022 J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 6th, 2022
- These are the victims of the Highland Park parade shooting - Chicago Tribune - August 6th, 2022
- How do you get summer vacationers at the Shore to keep the faith? Bless their boats. - The Philadelphia Inquirer - August 6th, 2022
- Opinion: Were not strangers to the plight of strangers I invite you to join our hard-working grassroots effort - The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle - August 6th, 2022
Comments