Church Building, Not the Church, Closes in the Bronx
By Neva Rae Fox

“We who are gathered here know that this building, which has been consecrated and set apart for the ministry of God’s holy Word and Sacraments, will no longer be used in this way, but will be taken down.”

With those solemn words from the Book of Occasional Services, Bishop E. Don Taylor performed a service that was necessary, but, as he and others throughout the Diocese echoed, very sad. On January 5, Bishop Taylor presided at the deconsecration of the nearly 100-year-old church building of St. Simeon’s in the Bronx.

It is a service that occurs infrequently in the Episcopal Diocese of New York and other dioceses. In this case, deconsecration was necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the churchgoers and the public. Since there are no other options, the building at 1020 Carroll Place is set to be demolished.
The Rev. Max L. Davies-Jones, rector of St. Simeon’s, noted forlornly, “It was a sad day. It goes without saying.”

About 120 people attended the afternoon service, and at least half were under 30 years old. “These were people who had not been currently active, but at some point of their lives were an important part of St. Simeon’s,” Bishop Taylor observed.

Closing of the Building, Not the Church
Bishop Taylor explained emphatically that the end of a church building is not the same as the end of a church. “This was the closing of a building, not the closing of the spirit,” he stressed. “There is a difference between a church building and the people who are the church. This was the indication of the cessation of the life of this church building, but not for the work of the people of the church. There is a very significant difference!”

Davies-Jones agreed wholeheartedly. “The church is very much alive and still vibrant,” he said. “It is the building that is closed. That’s a very important distinction.

“Everything has got its lifetime, and this building is close to the end of its lifetime,” he continued. “We see St. Simeon’s as being alive and well — it’s the building that has its problems.”
At the service, Bishop Taylor emphasized, “It is the intention of the Diocese that the congregation which worships here will not be deprived of the ministry of Word and Sacrament.”

What Does this Mean?
A church building or other holy place is deconsecrated when it will no longer be used for holy purposes. At St. Simeon’s, years of deferred maintenance have caused major structural problems, which have forced the building to be closed. Due to the hazardous conditions, the Church Insurance Company will no longer insure the building.

The congregation of St. Simeon’s now worships at 11 am on Sundays at St. Martha’s, at 1858 Hunt Ave. in the Bronx. Davies-Jones said the congregation has been adjusting to worshiping at St. Martha’s, which began last July. He added that the extra traveling time is difficult on some people.

Currently, the rector is searching for program space. “We’re looking for a storefront so we can have programs in the neighborhood of St Simeon’s,” he said, such as adult education, an after-school program, a youth group, a summer program, Altar Guild and women’s group.“We’re taking it one day at a time,” he added.

Bishop Taylor discussed this adjustment period. “From one view, it might be a period of dis-ease. But from another vantage point, especially in our life with Jesus, this could be for those an opportunity to review their mission in the life of the church, to reform and retool.”

There Was No Choice
All involved in the decision to raze the building are quick to point out that steps had been taken over a number of years to try to save the building, but the efforts were, in the end, too late.

“The building has been deemed unsafe, a safety hazard to the congregation and to the general public, as well as a potential liability,” said Michael Rebic, director of Property Support at the Diocese. “Deterioration has reached the point where it is beyond reasonable repair, and the only answer — after years of research and studies — was that the building has to be demolished. Prudence dictates no other source of action.”

The next step is to clear the building of all church possessions. Then, an environmental survey will be conducted in order to obtain the necessary demolition permits from the city. No date has yet been set for the demolition, although it will most likely occur within two months. Razing is expected to cost more than $155,000.

Rebic is among the Diocesan staff working with the rector, vestry and congregation. Recently, the Rev. Canon Williamson Taylor, Canon for Congregational Development, met with the vestry for long-range planning.

St. Simeon’s
St. Simeon’s is located on a small triangular lot at 1020 Carroll Place in the Bronx. Davies-Jones has served as the rector for 26 years.

The church was built from 1905 to 1907 on land donated by A. Newbold Morris and William Waldorf Astor. Bishop Greer laid the cornerstone on November 18, 1906. The 1905 Journal of Convention reported the congregation had 220 communicants, 530 baptized persons, 14 Sunday School teachers, 180 Sunday School Scholars.

St. Simeon’s has been a member of the Diocesan Congregational Support Plan (CSP) since 1997. Under the agreement as a member of the Congregational Support Plan, the diocese pays Davies-Jones’ compensation (stipend, cash housing allowance, and FICA offset) and his benefits (medical & dental insurance premiums, pension premium, continuing education allowance), and supply clergy costs for times when he is away. He is paid in accordance with the compensation guidelines established by Diocesan convention. St. Simeon’s current commitment to the CSP is scheduled to expire at the end of this year. The church is eligible to apply for a six-year renewal term.

Long Road to Deconsecration
Rebic reported that indications of building problems were recorded about 40 years ago. “As early as 1953 in a Diocesan study of Episcopal churches in the Bronx undertaken by the Rev. J. G. Moore, it was noted, ‘There is general deterioration of the outside trim of the church,’ ” Rebic said.
Close examination of photographs from the same period show that, at some time prior to the late 1950s, localized areas of masonry had already been replaced. Rebic added, “Probably around the same time, a tie bar was inserted to help check the outward thrust of the building’s main façade, which was evidently already showing signs of distress.”

According to a 1999 memo from Michael McPherson, former Chief Administrative Officer, by the 1970s, continued deterioration was exacerbated by deferred maintenance and had taken its toll on the structure. In 1989 when the Venture Fund allowed every congregation to have a conditions survey, McPherson reported that St. Simeon’s “appears not to have taken advantage of that opportunity.”

In 1996, there was an appeal from the congregation for assistance to “avoid what could be a catastrophic situation.” In response, the Diocese obtained the services of a building conservator and engineer to assess conditions and make recommendations, which led to the erection of the sidewalk bridging to protect the public and the persons using the church. The sidewalk bridging, which is still standing, has been paid for by the Bishop, CSP and the Property Support Committee.

In 1998, the Property Support Committee recommended that existing conditions warranted that the church building no longer be used as a place of worship and that alternative space be found for the parishioners.

In 2000 a task force was established to review options and prepare for the congregation’s move to a new site. The withdrawal of insurance coverage in 2002 made demolition unavoidable. In December, St. Simeon’s vestry approved the demolition of the church building, as did the Diocesan Standing Committee in January, pursuant to canon law.

Other Deconsecrations
Infrequent though they may be, there have been other deconsecration services in the Episcopal Diocese of New York in the past 25 years. Wayne Kempton, diocesan archivist, cited St. Luke’s the Beloved Physician on Edgecombe Avenue in Manhattan in 1993; St. Paul’s Mount Vernon (Eastchester) in 1980; and Holy Communion in Manhattan in the 1970s.

Bishop Taylor recalled the last deconsecration at which he presided. “I performed the deconsecration, followed by the re-consecration, of the chapel in Morningside House.” He added with a wink, “The re-consecration was more fun.”