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DELAWARE: Death of a Cathedral
Episcopal Cathedral Church of Saint John to close next July
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
October 1, 2011
The Cathedral Church of St. John, a 150-year-old granite structure in Wilmington built by the du Pont family and others, will shut its doors next July.
The decision was announced last Sunday following worship. This week, a letter was mailed to the cathedral's 120 members.
"We have fought long and hard and have done everything possible to continue our worshipping congregation here at St. John's, but reality says it is time to close," wardens Tom Angell and Deborah Layton wrote in the letter.
It's a decision that was not entirely a surprise in that only special bequests have kept the church going. Money from the congregation has fallen short each month by several thousand dollars.
For several years, the Cathedral has been having difficulty meeting the expenses of its beautiful buildings. Declining membership and an inability to attract new members and pledges in sufficient numbers has added to the financial uncertainty, said a letter from the vestry.
The Cathedral has been on the verge of closing several times over the last five years as it has used up all of its reserves. During that period, several committees and working groups from the Cathedral and Diocese have looked at options and ideas for bringing in additional funds. The Cathedral has also reduced expenses dramatically in an effort to balance its budget.
Last year, a proposal was presented to the Bishop and Council requesting assistance for the next five years to give the Cathedral additional time to resolve its membership and financial issues.
In June, Bishop Wayne Wright reported to leaders of the Cathedral, Cathedral Community Services, and Cathedral Choir School (CCS) that the Diocese had turned down the request. It could not provide any funds because, in order to do so, it would have to cease funding other programs already in place within the Diocese.
A leading Episcopal layman noted, "How ironic that this handsome Cathedral has to shut down, while The Falls Church in northern Virginia is booming, has helped start 6-7 other congregations as far away as Maine, and yet faces a forced takeover by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and will shutdown. Under Fr. John Yates, attendance has soared from about 300 to 3,000. Yet, in a few months, we may no longer be able to worship there."
The Rev. David F. Coady remembered, "when Bishop Wayne Wright first arrived in Delaware (I was living in Milford at the time). One of his first acts was to travel to Lewes and bless the priest and his boyfriend who were (are) shacked up. The priest had divorced his wife and moved his boyfriend into the rectory. It has been downhill for Episcopalians in Delaware ever since."
Three cathedrals have left The Episcopal Church to join with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). They are: San Joaquin, North Texas (Fort Worth), and Rio Grande's St. Clement's pro-cathedral in El Paso, TX. Pittsburgh has a neutral ground cathedral shared by TEC and ACNA.
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