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Newtonville church refuses to go quietly
March, 2003
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| A final celebration The Central Congregational Church, UCC, of Newtonville recently marked its closing with a gala concert that filled the 700-seat church building. Photo by Tiffany Vail |
For years, the membership of the Central Congregational Church of Newtonville dwindled as the demographics of the community changed.
But when the remaining church members decided it was time to close the church they agreed that they would not go out quietly. Instead, they packed the 108-year-old granite church for a farewell concert that featured a full orchestra and a multi-church choir. The church, built to accommodate 700, was packed.
It was the first time in many years that the church’s pews had been
filled.
Central Congregational, founded in 1868 by eight people, had grown
to 800 members in its heyday. But in recent years, the rolls had dwindled
to 95 and weekly
attendance hovered at about 30.
“What happened, of course, was demographics,” said Marshall Wilkins, the church’s music director for 46 years.
“Newton is really eight villages, and at one time each had their own Baptist churches, Congregational churches, Methodist churches, Catholic churches,” he said. “But over the last 45 years, most of these congregations began to lose membership. The demographics changed, and Newton was ‘over-churched.’”
Central is the second United Church of Christ congregation to close in Newton; First Church in Newton closed nearly 30 years ago. There are still five UCC congregations in the city of 82,500.
Central voted in September 2001 to begin the process of closing, and announced that the building would be put up for sale. The church received inquiries from a number of developers looking to either convert the structure or to tear it down. Then, the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church read about the church’s availability, and agreed to buy it for $2.5 million.
Wilkins said the Central members were thrilled to be able to sell
to a church.
“I was absolutely fantastically pleased at that,” he said.
Proceeds from that sale mean the concert is not the only way church members are ensuring that their congregation does not quietly fade away. The church has arranged for a Legacy Committee to distribute that money, along with the $280,000 the church had left in its endowment and other funds, to charitable organizations over the next 15 years.
“The first thing most people wanted to do was set up a trust,” said David Shumway, a member for 33 years. He added that the trust will allow “the good works of Central Congregational to continue.”
Shumway could not disclose specific amounts until the church’s dissolution plan is approved by the state, but he said the church intends to give substantial gifts to the Massachusetts Conference, Andover Newton Theological School, the Walker Center in Newton and the Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries.
Another 20 organizations that the church has traditionally supported will also receive gifts, he said.