Several years ago, I attended a CS Church in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, to hear my stepdad read.  It was my 2nd trip to this church in 5 years.  The previous trip had been to hear my mother read.  I had not been to any CS church since one trip to hear my dad read at a CS Church in Ohio back in the 1970s.  The LA-area population is in the neighborhood of 10 million people, and is fairly conservative from a political and religious standpoint.  This church is an older grand stone edifice, with a huge dome and a large pipe organ.  It could be described as palatial, with giant chandeliers, impressive stonework, and polished woodwork, though obvious signs of wear around the edges were beginning to show.  I spent some of the time taking a census of the parishoners, and spent more of the time estimating the building's seating capacity.  The seating capacity was between 1,700 and 2,000 people.  The attendance on this Sunday was 88 people, of whom 67 fell into the elderly category.  Because my folks are church Board members I also got to see their Sunday School on a tour after the service.  The total square footage in the Sunday School is around 4,000 sq. ft., with several smaller class meeting rooms adjacent to the main room.  The Sunday School that day had operated 5 tables, with a total of 5 to 6 seats each.  I've got enough space in my living room for a few small tables.  And this church is the sole survivor of what had been 3 grand Pasadena-area CS churches.  Both of the others closed for want of membership, and were integrated with this last CS church there.  So in actuality, the combined seating capacity of the 3 Pasadena churches was in the neighborhood of 5,000 people just 30 years ago.  And just several years ago, there were only 88 parishioners remaining at a regular Sunday service, with 75% of them over the age of 70 or 75, to fill the 1970s seating capacity of 5,000 or more.  If you figure an average attendance of 35% to 40% in 1973, there has been a 95% reduction in the average CS Sunday Service crowd in the last 35 years, in the area of Pasadena, CA.  My step-dad passed on last summer, so there is at least one fewer member these days.  I would guess, based on what I saw several years ago, that there are a few more members then that missing these days. 

The CS church that I grew-up in, in NW suburban Detroit, was new in a growing suburb in the 1960s.  It had splintered away from the Birmingham, MI church.  This church was much smaller, having a seating capacity in the neighborhood of maybe 400 people.  Back in 1970 an average Sunday service was over half full.  The Sunday School operated as many as 12 to 14 tables with 6 to 8 seats at each.  When I left this church in 1974 the metro-Detroit population was around 4 million people.  This church closed in the mid-1990s, as attendance had fallen by an estimated 80% by then.  The average Sunday adult crowd was down from 200 to 40 people or less, and the Sunday School average was off from around 90 kids to as few as 15 to 20 kids.  Many of the adults had become elderly, and many of their kids were no longer in attendance.  The story of the Franklin/Meadowlake CS church went from brand-new to bankrupt in under 30 years.  Yet it is not an unusual story in the CS Church.

Just four parishioners at a Wednesday night service in a mid-sized urban area?  If we assume that the average parishioner contributed $20 to the collection plate that makes $80.  Maybe they get double or triple that on an average Sunday.  It sounds to me llike this church is on the short list for extinction.  At that rate they can not possibly maintain the place.  All that it will take is a major building repair and it will be over.  I wonder how old the furnace is?  Or the roof?  Or the carpet?  It is a sad story, but unfortunately not an unusual story in the CS Church.  All across the nation, the CS Church is in various stages of collapse.  I wonder why?  Could it be that their message of "healing" is increasingly falling on deaf ears?  Could it be that there are too many victims of an unprovable concept and not enough grateful champions?  Have increases in medical science and a societal move away from religion in general made the CS message less acceptable than it once was?  Maybe the fact that many of us are such busy people these days, that we just don't have the time to commit half a day on Sunday to supporting any church, let alone that one.  Maybe food and fuel costs are robbing the collection plate and attendance?  Maybe Christian Science is almost an institution of the past already?

The CS Church is starting to remind me of the steel-making business in Youngstown.  All that is left are the memories of what once was.

Mark

This is my first posting to this page. I am a Christian Scientist. I happen to know a lot about the church in Pasadena, CA of which Mark speaks about. I know his facts to be incorrect and exaggerated. The church, at the time it was built in 1910 sat 1220. Today, after a major renovation back to its original beauty now seats 900 since some pews were removed. We have a nicely balanced membership of seniors and middle-aged people and young people and a somewhat active Sunday School. Are Sunday attendence adverages about 110 and about 70-80 on a Wednesday evening. We have ample funds to meet our needs and I can assure Mark that no one is throwing in huge checks into the church coffers on Sunday. By the way, Mark, we don't take a collection on Wednesday nights. You need to read your Manual more thoroughly.

Your stepdad did a wonderful job of reading. As a matter of fact, his readership is what attracted me to attend the Pasadena church. And your mother does much good in this church and blesses many people with her kindness and love.

I do wish you would be a bit more gentle about comments regarding your mother. She's a very loved member of this church.

Signed, A watchful Christian Scientist

Actually, the CS Church made a big recruiting effort in the 1990's and early 2000's under the leadership of Board of Directors Chairman Virginia Harris. The Church started selling S&H in secular bookstores and started marketing it as a self-help book for a host of everyday problems (marriage, finances, relationships, you name it). It also courted New Age seekers.  For some details, see the "Mainstreaming the Church" section of my article, Christian Science: Attempting a Comeback which was published in 2001.

The CS Church continued to decline despite Virgina Harris' efforts.