MUNCIE — Indiana Landmarks has selected two historic churches in the heart of Muncie as "Sacred Places Indiana" sites.
The former Main Street United Methodist Church and Grace Episcopal Church are among 19 congregations statewide that the historic preservation organization is training to raise funds — "not the traditional fish-fry model" — and to "harness their houses of worship for outreach and growth."
Just three years ago, The Star Press reported that the average age of members of Main Street UMC, now known as The Garden at Main Street, was 82, and that attendance at Sunday services was down to 15 to 20 members.
"They were shrinking and aging rapidly," violinist Deborah Malitz, who lives in a historic house next door to the church, said on Monday. "The (East Central) neighborhood had been concerned about that church for years. We need that anchor."
The national non-profit group Partners for Sacred Places, based in Philadelphia, calls churches "de facto community centers" that provide meeting space for community groups, social services, educational programs, art events, and countless hours of volunteer time.
Main Street UMC, in the historic East Central Neighbrhood, was saved from eternal rest by The Garden at Gethsemane, a Methodist Church on McGalliard Road.