Reconstructing Our Own "Cathedral of Innovation"

The other day I came across a fascinating article about a recent facility acquisition made by Audible, Inc., the Amazon subsidiary that provides audiobooks and other storytelling services on its well-designed app (of which I happen to be a frequent user). The company had purchased an old rundown building just down the street from its headquarters in Newark, NJ, believing it could be a center of innovation and development not only for the company’s products but also for their community. Your first thought is likely that what they purchased was a warehouse, a former storefront, or possibly an abandoned apartment building. What would you say if I told you what they purchased was a church?

Yes, Audible, Inc. purchased what was formerly Newark’s Second Presbyterian Church. Having been constructed in 1933, the church at one time had as many as 10,000 members at its height in the middle of the 20th century. The church closed in 1995 due to declining membership and the space was used as a school until 2013. Now, under Audbile’s ownership, the 80,000 square foot space has been reimagined as a new work center for more than 400 employees. The structure is a mix of the old and new, as they preserved many of the historic elements like the stained glass windows and even the pipe organ, while also adapting the space to become an incubator for new ideas and projects. The company is very much committed to impacting its local community and its residents. For example, Audible gives a $500 monthly stipend to employees that choose to live within Newark city limits, provides Amazon Fire tablets to Newark high school students, and its internship program is reserved solely for Newark students. Interestingly, Audible calls this structure its “Catherdal of Innovation” and as one company executive stated, the cathedral is "proof that our efforts are yielding positive outcomes for business and invention culture, for the many talented people who want to work with us, and for the comeback of this great American city."(Meisenzahl, 2020) 

I couldn’t help but see the irony for so many churches today that it was an outside entity that was able to come in and turn the space into a place for innovation and new ways of serving its community. I couldn't help but think of many questions when learning about what Audible had done like:

- What innovations are churches missing out on today?

- What would it look like for a traditional church to intentionally rethink its space with the context of its local community in mind? 

- What is a healthy blend of the historic with new innovations for traditional churches? 

- Can this type of rethinking and innovation occur without the church having to die or needing to start a whole new ministry to achieve it?

Certainly once something reaches the point of no return, we have to graciously let it go, and sadly far too many churches have reached that point. But just as many if not more have yet to reach that point, and the opportunities for becoming their own “cathedrals of innovation” abound. Change and adaption are nothing new to the church as its 2,000 plus years of existence clearly demonstrates. There was a time when live music was not possible in worship or even having a printed text from which to read, but as new innovations and opportunities came along, churches became adept at integrating these elements into who they were. My current congregation, First Baptist Church, Lumberton, first met in a meeting house that was built without blueprints in 1854 and was lit by candlelight and after only 4-5 years of use, a new structure was necessary. Over the years, as new opportunities and new needs arose, the church constructed and adapted its facilities as necessary. Yes a lot of that was in response to larger numbers and the desire for additional space, but the need was still the same as it is today; people looking for a space of meaning, connection, authenticity, and contribution to their community. 

Today, we live in a world that is vastly different from what it was 50, 25, even 10 years ago, and with that comes new challenges for our church yes, but it also provides new opportunities. When addressing the people of God in Isaiah 43:19, they were told that God was about to do something new. In fact, God had already begun doing something new, asking them “Do you not see it?” That question rings true for our congregations today as well. I believe that God has been, is doing, and will continue to do new things in and through God's Church as the needs of all of God's children change. In acknowledging these changing realities around us, we can choose one of two responses; to look back and focus on what was, or we could look to the future with determination, grit, and passion for looking for new or adapted ways to tell our communities the story of the love and grace found in Jesus Christ. Our faith communities can in fact become their own "Churches of Innovation". It may end up being a blend of historical elements with unchartered innovations, but as God has done countless times before, I believe there are vast opportunities for new beginnings for God's people and the Church. Do you see it?

(An original version of this was published in the First Baptist Church, Lumberton congregational newsletter)