The Presbyterians held a wonderful bash Saturday night at the Underdog Café. It was a fundraiser. Master of Ceremonies and church elder Walter Rhodes told the SRO crowd that the First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs (FIRPYS) is broke. He made it sound like he was kidding, but it was no joke. Why else would FIRPYS go out into the community to raise money? Recently, they let their interim pastor go at the end of his contract because they could no longer afford to pay him. The cost of heating the gray lady runs into thousands per month.
What to do?
The Facilities Committee of the Center for the Arts Steering Committee is looking for a permanent performance space. Currently, Chamber Music Yellow Springs uses the church sanctuary for its four-times-a-year concerts. Anyone familiar with the space will tell you the acoustics are excellent. The fellowship hall has been used over the years by a variety of groups from belly dancers to the Mills Lawn School band. It is also a polling place. Many significant community events have been held there, including the original feeling-out of the community for a center for the arts.
The fellowship hall, called Westminster Hall by the Presbyterians, was built in 1957, about a hundred years after the sanctuary. That may have been the last time FIRPYS reached out to the general community for fundraising. They were able to sell it to the non-Presbyterian population by assuring that the building would be available as a community center of sorts. And this has been more-or-less true over the years, with the church charging reasonable fees to help maintain it. However, this had been less true in recent times, until the Non-Stop Liberal Arts Group was able to convince the Church Session to lease them space to hold classes.
Resistance to public use of the FIRPYS building has waxed and waned. There was always a vocal minority opposed to the WEB Coffeehouse, the non-smoking, non-alcohol music venue in the church basement. Last year, the detractors won out when WEB was ousted over an insurance technicality. WEB is now without a permanent space. Over the years, there was always a strong distinction between use of the sanctuary and use of Westminster Hall. Understandably, there was a larger group opposed to secular uses by the public of the religious space. There was always the fellowship hall to fall back on, although the acoustics there are lousy.
But now is not the time for the Presbyterians to be picky. That minority that was always opposed to opening up the church to community uses has dwindled to one, although a very vocal one who seems to have imposed her will on the rest of the church. She can be seen patrolling the premises at every public event. The past couple Street Fairs, although the church building was open for its Strawberry and Apple Festivals, the restrooms were closed. It used to be that they were open for public use with donation trays by the doors. More short-sightedness..?
There was a rumor going around awhile ago that was reported on in this space, that the Senior Citizens had their eyes on the building as a potential site for an expanded Senior Center. YSSC board members vehemently denied it and nothing else has been heard about it since then.
The Arts Center Facilities Committee has been playing their hand very close to the vest. But since they are reportedly considering every possible venue, especially in the center of town, they have to have considered the Presbyterian Church. However, insiders at the church tell me they have not been approached. Perhaps the Facilities Committee has been put off by what happened with WEB and others who wanted a long-term relationship with the church for use of its facilities. If that is the case, they should rethink their position. The time is ripe for a coming-together of the church and the arts. It will be good for the church, good for the Arts Center and good for the community. Precedent for this kind of cooperation between a church and the arts exists in large cities all over the country. St. Mark’s Church in New York’s Greenwich Village, which has held many historical performances, is an outstanding example. Besides helping to pay the bills, what better way to enhance the church’s reputation, not only in our village, but in the entire region?
What to do?
The Facilities Committee of the Center for the Arts Steering Committee is looking for a permanent performance space. Currently, Chamber Music Yellow Springs uses the church sanctuary for its four-times-a-year concerts. Anyone familiar with the space will tell you the acoustics are excellent. The fellowship hall has been used over the years by a variety of groups from belly dancers to the Mills Lawn School band. It is also a polling place. Many significant community events have been held there, including the original feeling-out of the community for a center for the arts.
The fellowship hall, called Westminster Hall by the Presbyterians, was built in 1957, about a hundred years after the sanctuary. That may have been the last time FIRPYS reached out to the general community for fundraising. They were able to sell it to the non-Presbyterian population by assuring that the building would be available as a community center of sorts. And this has been more-or-less true over the years, with the church charging reasonable fees to help maintain it. However, this had been less true in recent times, until the Non-Stop Liberal Arts Group was able to convince the Church Session to lease them space to hold classes.
Resistance to public use of the FIRPYS building has waxed and waned. There was always a vocal minority opposed to the WEB Coffeehouse, the non-smoking, non-alcohol music venue in the church basement. Last year, the detractors won out when WEB was ousted over an insurance technicality. WEB is now without a permanent space. Over the years, there was always a strong distinction between use of the sanctuary and use of Westminster Hall. Understandably, there was a larger group opposed to secular uses by the public of the religious space. There was always the fellowship hall to fall back on, although the acoustics there are lousy.
But now is not the time for the Presbyterians to be picky. That minority that was always opposed to opening up the church to community uses has dwindled to one, although a very vocal one who seems to have imposed her will on the rest of the church. She can be seen patrolling the premises at every public event. The past couple Street Fairs, although the church building was open for its Strawberry and Apple Festivals, the restrooms were closed. It used to be that they were open for public use with donation trays by the doors. More short-sightedness..?
There was a rumor going around awhile ago that was reported on in this space, that the Senior Citizens had their eyes on the building as a potential site for an expanded Senior Center. YSSC board members vehemently denied it and nothing else has been heard about it since then.
The Arts Center Facilities Committee has been playing their hand very close to the vest. But since they are reportedly considering every possible venue, especially in the center of town, they have to have considered the Presbyterian Church. However, insiders at the church tell me they have not been approached. Perhaps the Facilities Committee has been put off by what happened with WEB and others who wanted a long-term relationship with the church for use of its facilities. If that is the case, they should rethink their position. The time is ripe for a coming-together of the church and the arts. It will be good for the church, good for the Arts Center and good for the community. Precedent for this kind of cooperation between a church and the arts exists in large cities all over the country. St. Mark’s Church in New York’s Greenwich Village, which has held many historical performances, is an outstanding example. Besides helping to pay the bills, what better way to enhance the church’s reputation, not only in our village, but in the entire region?
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