• A Message from the Pastor
• View Plans (updated 3/21/11)
• Contribute online or Make a Pledge Commitment
• Clarification from the Church Council and Trustees
• Download/Read Newsletter 1 (PDF file)
• Download/Read Newsletter 2 (PDF file)
• Download the Project Summary and Details (PDF file)

Renewing God’s House; Extending God’s Mission

Why would a group of United Methodists in the heart of downtown Charlottesville want to renovate their 88-year-old sanctuary when homeless people can be found regularly sleeping on the church’s steps and more than a hundred people line up every week to eat a free meal in the church’s fellowship hall? Why?

It’s a fair question. It’s not unlike the one asked by the disciples when a woman anointed Jesus’ head with expensive ointment. “Why this waste?” they cried. “This ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor” (Matthew 26:8-9). Jesus responds very simply, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing for me” (v.10). She, of course, was preparing Jesus for his ultimate mission, to lay down his life for the sins of the world.

Nearly 600 years before Jesus, Zerubbabel joined more than 42,000 Hebrews in their return from slavery in Babylon, and he was determined to lead the rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon destroyed by the Babylonians. Someone must have objected. Surely there were more pressing issues to address after 70 years in exile. Why rebuild the Temple now? Why did the people need a so-called house of God rising out of the rubble of the past to remind them of God’s mercy? Why indeed.

Needless to say, Zerubbabel fulfilled his mission, and so did Jesus. When Jesus responded to his disciples’ complaints, he said, “you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you.” He wasn’t dismissing the needs of the poor; he lived and died among the poor. Jesus wanted his disciples to both care for him and for the people he came to save. In short, he didn’t want them to divide their generosity as if it were a pie that dwindles with each gift. He clearly taught that giving increases our ability to give, not the other way around.

When Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, he challenged them to go beyond the requirements of their religion: “You tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23). The rebuilding of the Temple, the anointing of Christ’s mission, the renewing of a place of worship in the challenging arena of an urban setting, all can take place even as faithful believers dare to reach out to the needs of God’s people. “These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.”

Why renew God’s house in downtown Charlottesville? Why not let it become a museum to religion of the past? Why bring a nearly century old sanctuary into the 21st century with appropriate lights and sounds and flexibility that can reach a new generation of Christians? Why indeed.

This month, First United Methodist Church will embark upon the challenge of “extending God’s mission” by “renewing God’s house” in the heart of downtown Charlottesville. We will continue to send missionaries to Haiti and Lithuania and Belize and Appalachia; we will continue to feed the hungry through Loaves & Fishes and Bread & Blessings; and we will continue to provide shelter to the homeless through PACEM. But we will also begin the challenge of renewing God’s house so it can be a place that will draw people to God for generations to come.

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Is that not God’s mission for us today? Renewing God’s house is one small part of extending that mission today, and into tomorrow.

Peace, Pastor Al Horton

P.S. If you'd like to contribute to the Sanctuary Renovation Fund, please feel free to use our secure online link, or download and fill out a Commitment Card (PDF).

To All Friends and Members of First UMC:

First, we want to thank all who have provided feedback on the proposed sanctuary renovation. Our information sessions on Sunday, October 10 were very helpful. Since those meetings we have received feedback that some left those meetings under the impression that the primary objective for the renovation is to make the sanctuary more adaptable for community events. We apologize for any confusion created on our part.

The primary objective for the sanctuary renovation is to perform much needed maintenance and upgrades that serve to enhance the traditional worship service while making the sanctuary more adaptable for other church related events; Magnify choir, children’s Christmas pageant, other worship services etc. If at some point in the future the sanctuary might host a community event it would only be allowed if the event aligned to the church’s core values. The last time the sanctuary received any significant upkeep was in 1975, over 35 years ago. It’s now time to perform much needed maintenance and to bring the sanctuary into the 21st century of communication technology. We are confident this can be done while preserving the traditional atmosphere of the sanctuary.

The planned renovation is for the benefit of all members and guests of FUMC. We hope all of you take time to learn more about this exciting project that aligns to our mission: “Changing Lives through Jesus Christ”.

Bill Hall
Chair – Church Council

Guy Moffat
Chair – Board of Trustees