Historic 182-year-old Alabama church closes doors for good
Only about 9 church members were left at the Five Mile Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dwindling attendance by an increasingly elderly congregation at a historic Alabama church has prompted the difficult decision to close its doors for good, with the final worship service held this Sunday after 182 years.
"There is a certain sadness," said Sharon Eich, lay pastor of Five Mile Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. She said the congregation "has been such a beacon to the community for so long," al.com reported Friday.
There were about 40 church members when Eich became lay pastor in 2002. Now it's down to about nine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CONSERVATIVE PRESBYTERIANS LAY OUT WHY MAINLINE COUSINS ARE LOSING MEMBERS: ‘SUPERNATURAL BATTLE’
"Most of the congregation is in their 80s," she said. "It’s just time."
The white clapboard church, complete with a bell tower, was built in 1880. However, Eich said it holds just 30 people and lacks modern amenities such as air-conditioning or bathrooms.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After 182 years of service, the historic Five Mile Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, has finally closed its doors for good.
When the congregation was founded in 1841 — 30 years before the city of Birmingham — it was in a rural area. Birmingham has since expanded, bringing the church within city limits.
Before Sunday's final service, there will be a historical presentation by University of Georgia Professor John Knox, son of the late Rev. Harold Knox who led the congregation from 1963-1999.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The church and an adjoining Civil War-era cemetery will be placed in a trust. A 1958 brick sanctuary and fellowship hall will be owned by a Presbyterian administrative unit, and will likely be sold to another congregation.
"It’s such a wonderful, loving congregation," Eich said, "that has been a blessing in my life."