The Second Congregational Church in Biddeford ”“ the big white Christian congregational church on Crescent Street ”“ faces an uncertain future. Church attendance is in decline across the country, which is a concern among congregations in communities statewide, and Second Congregational is no exception. Church leaders report that Sunday worship attendance has dwindled to about 15 to 20 people.
The congregation is in danger of losing its building, as the meager attendance makes it difficult to maintain operating costs, according to an article published in the Journal Tribune earlier this week. As the building is large, so too are the costs for maintenance and upkeep of the facility.
Losing the building would surely be painful for those who consider the church their spiritual home. But the concerns are even broader: Aside from merely offering religious services, the building also serves as meeting space for several community groups, including 12-step programs and the Bon Appetit Community Meal Program, which provides free meals to those who need them, five days a week. Rev. Catherine Anglea estimates that about 150-200 people, and sometimes more, use the building on a weekly basis.
Losing the building would be a detriment not only to worshippers, but to the community members who rely on those various groups to see them through some of life’s more difficult moments.
It is unsurprising that church attendance would be dipping. According to a 2013 study from Pew Research, the percentage of Americans who say they “seldom” or “never” attend religious services (aside from weddings and funerals) has risen modestly in the past decade. Roughly 29 percent of U.S. adults say they seldom or never attend worship services, up from 25 percent in 2003, but those numbers may not tell the full story.
“How often people say they usually attend services is not necessarily the same as how often they actually do attend,” according to Pew. “For example, time diary studies, in which respondents report on concrete activities over a limited span of time, often show lower rates of church attendance than data from surveys, which perhaps better reflect how people see themselves (rather than how they behave.)”
This summer, members of the church’s congregation will meet on the third Saturday of each month to discuss the future of the building; those meetings will take place in the morning, while meetings for members of groups that use the church will meet in the afternoon. If attendees decide it’s worth saving, they will discuss ways in which to do so ”“ and avoid, they hope, the fate of other churches in the area that have been forced to shut their doors due to dwindling attendance.
We hope the Second Congregational Church finds a way to maintain the building as its home.
It’s an issue that goes beyond religious worship. The trend nationally is toward a more secularized society; and while that in itself may be a neutral development for the growing numbers who reject any specific religious affiliation, it’s sad that those who are still committed to their faith are faced with the possibility of being adrift, with no home in which to express their beliefs.
It would be a further disappointment to have the various community groups displaced.
One option, if the building is indeed lost, is to consolidate congregations to one of the remaining churches. The meals program and 12-step offerings could likewise migrate to a new facility. All would not, and should not, be lost.
But this is a worst-case scenario. We encourage congregants to attend the monthly meetings, and to preserve one of Biddeford’s remaining spiritual landmarks for its intended purpose.
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