Three Presbyterian churches in Cobb County - two in Marietta and one in Mableton - will cease to exist after this month.
Southminster Presbyterian, Calvary Presbyterian and Woodlawn Presbyterian churches are dissolving and forming a new congregation to be called Light of Hope Presbyterian Church. Final services as separate churches will be held Sunday with a shared service on March 24.
“We’re hoping and praying it will be a new era of life with better connections to the changing dynamics” of the communities, said the Rev. Peter Paulsen, pastor of Southminster and Calvary. “This is our movement toward the future.”
Combined, the churches have about 190 members. The primary challenge is demographics, said the Rev. John Spangler, pastor of Woodlawn.. The average age of all three congregations is about 60 years old.
“We joke that nobody in the youth group is under 55,” Spangler said.
Spangler said another factor is the expense of operating three separate properties and effectively managing other resources.
Paulsen said the churches have been in Cobb since the ’60s, although Woodlawn had its beginnings in Atlanta. Many of the members moved to area decades ago seeking affordable housing and better schools. Many stayed, aging in place.
Once very active in schools and community functions, many now don’t get as involved and that has affected their ability to attract new members.
Paulsen said the transition has been in the making for about three years. All three churches are for sale. The plan is for the congregations to hold services at Southminster Presbyterian on Hurt Road until a new facility is found, which may take a couple of years.
Neither Paulsen nor Spangler will be active in the new church, said Paulsen, who added a “very, very small” number of members have signaled they won’t be joining the new church.
The new pastor will be the Rev. Edwin Gonzalez-Gertz, a multilingual minister who speaks Spanish, which will be a plus given the county’s sizable Latino population.
“I saw the valor of these congregations to step out of their comfort zones and go into the unknown,” Gonzalez-Gertz said. “They can see a little bit of the future in the community, which is very diverse and multicultural. They want to go into what is called multicultural ministries, where everyone is welcome into the church and diversity is celebrated. “
Gonzalez-Gertz said plans include holding Bible study in several languages, opening a music school and developing services for teenagers and second-generation immigrants.
“I’m excited about it and the possibility for the future,” Spangler said.
About the Author
