UCCtruths

Attendance at Phillips Congregational Church has been going up, but the church will soon be closing down. The historic 1855 building is up for sale.

The Mount Auburn Street congregation, part of the United Church of Christ, has been in serious talks for close to a year. Financial difficulties at Phillips are forcing its members to consider consolidation with Payson Park Congregational Church in Belmont.

Both congregations plan to vote Sept. 30 on whether to merge. Faithful Phillips churchgoers could be attending their last day on Oct. 7.

“It’s an odd situation,” said the Rev. Robert Asinger. “[The church] just about tripled in size over last seven years. But the bottom line is we have to do something because of finances.”

The church faced a major deficit and low attendance in 2000, said Asinger. Pledges from their congregation were low, and yearly upkeep and repairs of the church had been eating away at its endowment.

The church managed to cut its deficit from $250,000 to $50,000 over the past seven years by renting out space to various community programs. Attendance numbers had even grown 100 members over the past five years, and students at church school had been increasing. But that wasn’t enough.