Old First Reformed Church

I "met" Rev. Daniel Meeter through the TwelveBlog.  He was one of the originators of that blog of  Reformed writers with a liberal perspective and continues to comment on the writings of others.  At some point,  I must have emailed him.    When he learned that we lived in South Bend, he mentioned knowing the VanEngens.  He grew up in West Sayville and my friend Sue VanEngen's dad was a very formative person in his life.  And his wife grew up in Hudsonville and went to Unity High School as we did.

I noted that our Brooklyn Holiday Inn was just a bit over a mile from the Old First Reformed Church where he is pastor so I asked if he would show it to us.  He was happy to do so and wanted to include lunch as well.

We walked up Flatbush Avenue, turned right on 7th Avenue, and found the church at the corner of Carroll Street.   This was a pretty commercial area of Park Slope.  A homeless person was sleeping in his bag on the front steps.

No one has been able to worship in the sanctuary for five years now--after a portion of the ceiling fell on a Rosh Hashana service for a Jewish congregation using the space.   This meant that the rather small Reformed congregation needed to enter a time of discernment.  Should the church be torn down?  Was it worth restoring at great expense?  The wooden ribs above needed repair, there is asbestos under the floor, and the organ has been damaged.

The sanctuary is huge and could seat over a 1000 worshippers.  The stained glass windows are treasures--by La Large, Tiffany, and the Heinigke and Bowen studio.   It was built in the late 1800s as a showpiece and was the third location for a church that originated in the 1660s.  Meanwhile, the church worships in one of the two large all-purpose rooms.

A decision has been made to go ahead with renovation. They consider themselves a "parish" church serving the community including meals for the homeless, a nursery school, and a place for the arts.  They are open to the LGBT community and Rev. Meeter has performed same-sex marriages, but only for members of the congregation.  He says they are Christ-centered with traditional worship but they have porous walls.  While walking with Rev. Meeter to lunch we observed his greeting several folks along the street.

Money has come from outside sources.  I know some came from selling grave plots owned by the church in a historic Brooklyn cemetery as written in a NYT feature article last fall.  The congregation of younger folks could not afford to pay for what might be a $6 million price tag.

Is it worth it?  I hope it will be.  It would be a shame to tear down such a beautiful historic building.  The present congregation will not fill the sanctuary but I could see using the space for musical groups and concerts.  I'm glad they have a vision for their  goal of "a great and unique space for our community and neighbors to find God, spirituality, and community in a crowded and clamorous world."