A growing Hispanic congregation in south Oklahoma City recently moved from cramped quarters to a larger church building.
Iglesia Episcopal Santa Maria Virgen, led by the Rev. Leonel Blanco Monterroso, held its first worship service in its new home Feb. 7. The building at 5500 S Western formerly housed Grace Lutheran Church.
Monterroso said the sanctuary at the church’s previous building at 2141 SW 25 could house no more than 200 people, while the new building’s worship area easily accommodates about 500.
The larger complex came at just the right time, he said.
Monterroso said the church’s first service in the new building drew about 585 people.
Strange church chart:
http://12.0.101.92/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_312010115300AM.pdf
Who is paying for the church?
The stats on the chart tell me that financial reporting is not being done accurately. Beyond that, and this has all been said before on this and other blogs, the membership and ASA stats are typical. Greatly increasing Hispanic membership as whole family units are assimilated, reflected in gentler but still dramatic increases in ASA. Two other notes: 1) stewardship and financing is the elephant in the room with developing Hispanic congregations. The non-denominational church plants that work re: financial independence do so because of a) a heavy demand on tithing, and b) complete control of all expenditures by the pastor or pastoral family. And 2) when the pastor leaves, so goes the mission, and thus noticable decreases in attendance, followed by (hopefully) new increases with a new pastor.
Hispanic clergy in TEC who are not allowed or not inclined to the more authoritarian mode of leadership do not make those stewardship demands. It is disconcerting at best to have an Hispanic congregation with 400 on a Sunday, but is being fully funded by the diocesan Dept of Missions.