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| Rev Charles Willey. Someone in Arkansas interviewed me and asked, "Do you know him?" GJ - "Yes, he converted me to Lutheranism. I left his church and went to Salem Lutheran, across the street." |
First Christian Church in Moline to close:
'It was a very difficult decision' | Faith and Values | qctimes.com: "First Christian Church of Moline was so busy in the 1960s, there were three services on Sundays and chairs had to be brought in every week to accommodate the crowd.
Dwindling membership and financial support in the past several years, part of a trend seen across the United States, means the church will officially close on Oct. 1.
This date ties to the 111th anniversary of the church founding, and events are planned to start at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, with a special service, light lunch and time to share memories beginning at noon.
LaVelle and Paul Stewart, Moline, are longtime members of First Christian Church: LaVelle for 62 years and Paul for 70 years. They recall when the late Rev. Charles Willey did a daily inspirational radio show.
"New members joined us every Sunday, and we had three services on Sundays," LaVelle Stewart said. "We had to set up chairs in the back to accommodate the people."
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| Rev Jane Courtright |
The decision to close First Christian Church came after many prayers, according to the Rev. Jane Courtright, interim pastor. Courtright, who has a background in helping people to transition and grow in life, joined First Christian more than a year ago, never planning to be part of a church closing.
According to the Gallup Poll, Americans are much less likely now than they were in the past to claim membership in a church, synagogue or mosque.
In 1937, when Gallup first asked about church membership, 73 percent said they were a member of a church. This figure dropped into the upper 60 percent range in the 1980s and decreased from that point on. It fell to its lowest point of 54 percent in 2015 but increased slightly to 56 percent in 2016.
Still, as Stewart said, "It was a very difficult decision to close.""
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