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A church in Minnesota, United States is planning to kick out their old parishioners to attract younger ones in a bid for survival.
Due to membership and financial problems, the Grove United Methodist Church is set to close in June, as per local paper St. Paul Pioneer Press yesterday, Jan. 19. However, the church aims to reopen in November with a new game plan: get rid of present members, most of whom are over 60 years old.
These members, who have been part of the church for the longest time, cried foul on the decision to just let them go, claiming the move as being discriminatory during a meeting on Jan. 12.
鈥淚 pray for this church, getting through this age discrimination thing,鈥� gray-haired member William Gackstetter was quoted as saying.
鈥淭his is totally wrong,鈥� Gackstetter鈥檚 wife Cheryl said. 鈥淭hey are discriminating against us because of our age.鈥�
In a meeting last December, the church found out that they are 鈥渘earing the end鈥� unless they change something, which is how they came up with the decision to get new members by ushering out the old ones.
The church argues that reopening is the best way to gain younger families as members, as per report. The present, gray-haired members, however, see this as an insult.
When the plan was relayed to them by a visiting pastor earlier this January, Cheryl said she called the pastor a hypocrite, saying they 鈥渁re kicking us out of our church.鈥�
These senior members will supposedly be asked to worship to a different branch, said a memo which the church put out, as per report. It was also recommended that these members stay away for two years; only then can they consult for reapplication.
The church has two branches, which are located in Cottage Grove and Woodbury, both within Minnesota. Old members could come to the Woodbury branch instead, said church head Rev. Dan Wetterstrom, who also argued that as Cottage Grove鈥檚 population is growing, so should the church.
The old members will also not be physically barred from the church, but they are expected not to attend at all, according to Jeremy Peters, a specialist the church hired for the reopening plan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new thing with a new mission for a new target [and] a new culture,鈥� Peters was quoted as saying.
鈥淲e are asking them to let this happen,鈥� Wetterstrom added. 鈥淔or this to be truly new, we can鈥檛 have the core group of 30 people.鈥�
Despite this plan, however, the senior members were reportedly asked to continue maintaining the church during its hiatus.
鈥淭hey want us to mow the lawn and shovel the snow. As if anyone would do that. This whole plan makes me sick. I believe it鈥檚 evil,鈥� Gackstetter said in the report.
Cheryl meanwhile claimed that they are still expected to be 鈥渟ilent partners鈥� and continue donating money to the church.
The church鈥檚 founder, Jim Baker, is also siding with the seniors, and even questioned the move of the church he created: 鈥淭hey want to create renewal [鈥 I am all for renewal, but why not do it with everyone?鈥� Ian Biong/JB
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