Email
Print
Poor economy affecting local churches in different ways
Bruce Matlock photo illustration
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 16, 2008
In a meeting room at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Statesville, the half-dozen core members of the church's women's group are making plans for a big giveaway.
Like a good portion of Calvary's members, the women are retired and living on fixed incomes.
For that reason, according to group president Margaret Marks, the church has been largely insulated from the economic woes that have plagued much of the nation during the past year.
"We have a dedicated congregation. Our money pretty much stays the same," Marks said. "So, even though we still have bills and dues and other financial responsibilities, our church has not suffered during these times."
But other churches have felt the pinch of what some economists are calling the precursor to a re-do of the Great Depression.
The Rev. Skip Cartin, pastor of Western Avenue Baptist Church, said 2008 was shaping up to be the worst in his 21 years at the church.
"I was looking over our records, and we were way, way behind," Cartin said. "But in the past two weeks we've made up about half of that deficit."
Cartin said the trouble started in early July and part of the problem is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"That was about the time the media started giving reports that the sky was falling down and people began to get more and more concerned," he said. "I think a lot of this is that we are now on a 24-hour news cycle and they beat things to death."
That theory has resonance in other pulpits.
"In my 62 years I would certainly say this is one of the more difficult economic times," said the Rev. Donald Shuman, senior pastor of Broad Street United Methodist Church. "But it is certainly the most talked about economic situation."
But Shuman said the books at his church have stayed in the black.
"Here at the end of the year, this is the time when you sometimes have to push to meet your obligations," he said. "But, to be honest, we haven't had to push as hard this year as we have in some others."
Shuman said the steady money flow at Broad Street has a lot to do with the make-up of his congregation.
"We really don't have a lot of members who are blue-collar workers," he said. "I would imagine that churches that do have been more affected by the times."
The Rev. Brad Mullis, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church, said his congregation is "pretty diverse, economically speaking."
He said the recent downturn has taken a slight toll at his church.
"It's tough times for a lot of folks," Mullis said. "I've had some folks lose their jobs, some in real estate and other related businesses."
But Mullis has not seen a real drop in tithing.
"Our plate offerings have been off some," he said. "But the committed pledges, by those who can afford to make them, have stayed the same or even increased."
That's not the case at St. Theresa's Church in Mooresville.
Father Joe Kappes, St. Theresa's pastor, said changes this year have been dramatic.
"I can tell you two things," Kappes said. "The collection plate has diminished significantly and the number of requests for assistance — by parishioner and nonparishioners — has gone way up."
And that call for help seems to have been the common strain in all the churches.
The Rev. Jeff Porter, pastor of First Baptist Church on Davie Avenue in Statesville, said the awareness of that need actually creates a phenomenon of giving.
Church members may have disagreement on some topics, he said, but that ends when it comes to helping those in need.
"When the subject of giving comes up there is a noticeable solidarity," Porter said. "It's been an incredible thing to see. We've had to tighten our belts a little in some areas but the demonstration of giving by our members has been very encouraging."
Those sentiments were echoed by each of the church leaders interviewed for this story.
"Those who can help have been eager to help," Kappes said. "People have been very, very generous."
Shuman, who is also president of the board of the Iredell Christian Ministries, said the generosity he's witnessed in recent times has been the "bright side" of the economic woes.
"These times have pushed people who have the means to see how they can give more," he said. "And a lot of people have done a lot more."
Shuman said earlier this year, Christian Ministries was helping about 500 families a month. In November that number would be around 800.
And the ladies at Calvary Presbyterian Church are all about giving.
"You see all that on that table," she said pointing to bags of supplies the women plan on giving to a men's recovery program.
"We are always giving, always looking at ways to donate," she said. "And it always comes back to us many times over."
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
