Miami
Herald...
Churches fight way
out of recession
By Kathleen McGrory
Local churches, hurt by falling collections and rising financial
pressures, say they are beginning to see a rebound...
Pastor Wayne Lomax got the bad news a week into Lenten season. The bank
was foreclosing on his Fountain of New Life Ministries in Miami Gardens.
“I went to seminary, but I don’t remember them teaching anything like
this,” he said.
For the past three years, houses of worship have experienced the same
economic hardships as parishioners.
Churches have seen the cost of electricity and gas rise — and had more
people and social service providers asking for their help. All the
while, there have been fewer dollars on the collection plate to help
foot the bill.
But on Easter, Christianity’s day of resurrection, hope and renewal,
South Florida spiritual leaders say there are encouraging signs. Many
local parishes say their numbers are growing — and that financial
pressures have begun to ease.
Within Catholic churches, pledges to the Archbishop’s Charities and
Development Drive have already climbed to $11.8 million. The goal was
$9.7 million, according to the Archdiocese of Miami. The number of
donors pledging at least $5,000 more than doubled.
“Every parish has succeeded in bringing in more pledges than they did
last year,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski told worshippers at Tuesday’s
Chrism Mass, marking the start of Easter celebrations, at the Cathedral
of St. Mary.
Like their counterparts in business, many South Florida churches
expanded during the boom years, borrowing money for renovations,
additions, and, in some cases, entire new campuses.
Then came the bust.
RECENT CLOSURES
Nationwide, nearly two-thirds of congregations saw their income drop
during the recession, according to a study released this past week by
an inter-faith group of researchers. Congregations of all sizes and
denominations in all parts of the country felt the impact.
In 2009, the Miami Archdiocese had to close 13 struggling South Florida
parishes and seven Catholic schools. The archdiocese also cut funding
for its pro-life office and pregnancy care centers.
This year, the economic picture is brightening, said Teresa Martinez, a
spokeswoman for the archdiocese. More money is coming in. Adult
baptisms are also up from 371 last year to 489 this year.
At Coral Ridge Presbyterian, one of Fort Lauderdale’s largest churches,
giving dropped off during the recession. That dip was especially
pronounced among the congregation’s younger members, Director of
Communications Vinny Cesar said.
To cut costs, building administrators replaced all of the halogen light
bulbs in the church with energy-efficient LEDs. They turned off the
lights when the main sanctuary was empty, invested in larger dumpsters
so the trash wouldn’t have to be picked up as often, and asked members
to help out with the landscaping. At least one church employee was laid
off.
But church officials say there is something to be optimistic about.
Since September, several hundred people have become members at Coral
Ridge, boosting membership to about 1,500. Last month alone, more than
60 people joined the congregation. From a financial standpoint, new
members are a new source of revenue.
CHARITABLE WORKS
Despite the downturn, many local churches stepped up their charitable
giving in response to the greater community need.
St. Faith’s Episcopal Church in Cutler Bay had a significant loss in
revenue. To tame the electric bill, church employees began relying on
natural light in the main office. They also became more conservative
with the air conditioning.
“We’ve been on a very tight budget,” said the Rev. Jennie Lou Reid, who
presides over a congregation of about 90. “We can’t always pay
everything right when it comes due.”
But St. Faith’s continued its community ministries. The parish grew its
food pantry to provide groceries to more low-income families each month.
At the onset of the recession, Mt. Hermon African Methodist Episcopal
Church in Miami Gardens began a tradition of purchasing new clothes and
shoes for homeless children just before Easter.
It’s a big undertaking for the church and its members. The Rev. John F.
White II asks each parishioner to donate $40 toward the effort, a
sizeable donation from people who are struggling themselves.
White says his members give generously.
“It’s important for us to remind these young people that there are
still people who care about them,” he said.
Nationally, one in 10 congregations say now they have begun to recover
from the recession, according to the national study.
“There is evidence that the worst may be over,” said David Roozen,
director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research who authored
the study.
Not all churches have been able to survive the economic downturn. The
recession pushed about 5 percent of congregations nationwide into
severe financial distress, Roozen said.
“If you were hurting before and got hit by the recession, it likely
pushed you to the brink,” he said.
But Roozen said the sagging economy might have actually helped the
congregations that hung on — from a financial standpoint, at least. By
hunkering down, the churches learned to spend their money smarter and
work more efficiently.
ECONOMIC LESSONS
For Lomax, the pastor at Fountain of New Life Ministries, the recession
has been a lesson in economics and accounting.
Lomax founded Fountain 15 years ago in the living room of his Fort
Lauderdale home. He grew it into a successful congregation of several
hundred based out of a leased property in Pembroke Pines.
Last year, Fountain merged with a Miami Gardens church in foreclosure.
Lomax took over the $1.4 million loan on the Miami Gardens site,
promising to pay it off within a year, he said. But over the course of
the year, the congregation grew steadily. As expenses soared, income
stayed flat. Lomax said he struggled to keep up with the loan.
In March, the bank filed for the second time to foreclose on the
property.
At first, the parish was devastated. But Lomax says the foreclosure
notice has been a catalyst.
The parishioners have rallied together to support the church, legally,
financially and spiritually.
Lomax is optimistic. He says he is close to securing the money to bring
the loan up to date.
“It’s like the Easter story,” Lomax said. “There would never have been
a resurrection had there not been a death.”
Read it at the Miami Herald
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