"The Middle Church has always been a front for justice and taking care of families,"
"The fire was hot and fast and our tears were falling in the rain and we were weeping and just watching our memories, watching our stuff, our memories burned out,"
"This space, though smaller, actually has a bigger electronic footprint, a digital footprint,"
"We all have the power, to make love a public ethic, to change our neighborhoods, our families, our communities with love, not hate, with peace, not outsized power,"
"And therefore, we can all get some joy because the world gets better."
Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan's East Village was founded by Dutch Protestants in 1628 and remains the oldest continuous Protestant congregation in North America. The congregation has long provided community services such as food and clothing drives and financial support during the coronavirus pandemic. A six-alarm fire in 2020 began in a vacant neighboring building, spread to the church, and destroyed the sanctuary. Rebuilding prioritized the social hall and classroom spaces and the church officially reopened on Easter. The new sanctuary is smaller but equipped with upgraded audio-visual systems for livestreamed services. Leadership emphasizes communal rebuilding and making love a public ethic.
Read at www.npr.org
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