Thetford
“The council voted (on Sunday) to instruct the UCT trustees to divest ourselves of the two buildings,” the council said in a statement announcing the decision that appeared on Thetford and Lyme Listservs. “Going forward we will use our resources for two purposes: to worship and give to the community.”
“We would like to donate each of these facilities to a public or nonprofit entity with the hope that they will be of even greater service to Thetford,” the council said.
The United Church of Thetford was created 10 years ago when two congregations in Thetford — the Timothy Frost Methodist Church in Thetford Center and the North Thetford Federated Church — combined, but continued to keep the two church buildings.
“For the past 10 years, we have worshipped together and cared for our buildings,” the statement said. “Over time, we have learned that our resources simply are not sufficient to both maintain a worship community and be good stewards of those buildings.”
Council treasurer Curtis Richardson said that when the congregations combined, an effort was made to attract more families and younger people and grow the congregation. This included creating a play space for children during services, handing out gently used stuffed animal at the town parade, holding well-attended community suppers and incorporating more music with a part-time organist and choir director.
“We did a lot of things to try to sustain and grown the congregation,” Richardson said. “But today we are smaller and a lot older. It is expensive and exhausting (to care for two churches).”
Work done on the churches has included adding solar panels and painting the interior and exterior of the North Thetford church and repairing the steeples on both churches.
“We did a whole lot of stuff,” Richardson said.
Around 2014, Richardson said, it became clear the congregation needed a new direction, and it was putting more time and money into maintaining the buildings.
“What do we care more about, our ministry and mission, or how soon we may need to buy a new stove or what next needs to be painted?” he said.
That led to discussions in fall 2014 and winter 2015 with community members about town needs, and eventually prompted Sunday’s decision to close the churches.
“We took a big step,” he said about the vote. “Now, being a worship community and giving to the community will be a bigger part of our budget, and hopefully we will find ways to repurpose the buildings.”
“It is more exciting to come to a meeting to talk about our mission of serving the community than about the next building repair,” Richardson said. “That is a more fulfilling way to spend a Sunday morning.”
The congregation is down to about 25 members, interim pastor Brigid Farrell said on Monday night.
Farrell said the decision was not one based solely on finances.
“It was not just financial, but also the energy and resources of the people to do the work of keeping the churches up,” Farrell said.
As for what may happen to the buildings, Farrell said the congregation is just beginning to look at the possibilities. Ideas are welcome, she said, and can be emailed to unitedchurchofthetford@gmail.com.
“We just don’t know right now. It is going to be a process,” Farrell said. “There have been some conversations with the town on the Timothy Frost Church (which is next to the town offices). So that is a possibility.”
Nonprofits also could use the space, and now, with a sewer line being laid in front of the Frost church, it will be easier to add a bathroom. The Frost church currently lacks one.
As for now, UTC will continue to worship at the Frost church through Sunday and at the North Thetford church after that. As for where services would be held once the buildings are donated or sold, Farrell said it is possible the congregation still could use the churches; otherwise, it may have to find another location.
The Timothy Frost Methodist Church was constructed in 1836 at a cost of $1,400 and began with 35 members.
On the east side of Route 113, it was built in Gothic Revival-style with brick, a granite foundation and shingled roof.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
