Image
C edit:
stma ksuccalle tow .o g
Afte
its
co g egatio
dwi dled
to
just
26
membe s,
St.
Ma k’s
U ited
Chu ch
of
Ch ist
i
Bloomi gto ,
Mi esota,
made
the
difficult
decisio
to
close,
tu i g
its
fi al
chapte
i to
a
ext ao di a y
act
of
ge e osity.
Acco di g
to
Mi esota
o p ofit
Loaves
&
Fishes,
which
p ovides
meals
to
people
faci g
hu ge ,
St.
Ma k’s
dist ibuted
about
$600,000
amo g
21
o p ofits.
The
site
is
pla ed
fo
edevelopme t
i to
affo dable
housi g,
allowi g
the
co g egatio ’s
legacy
to
co ti ue
th ough
both
commu ity
suppo t
a d
ew
homes.
A
difficult
decisio
St.
Ma k’s
had
se ved
its
Bloomi gto
commu ity
fo
decades,
but
decli i g
membe ship
eve tually
made
it
difficult
to
co ti ue
as
a
co g egatio .
Acco di g
to
Pasto
Je ife
Jaimez,
who
mi iste ed
at
the
chu ch
fo
26
yea s,
the
decisio
was
ot
d ive
by
a
lack
of
mo ey.
Fo me
chu ch
t easu e
Jeff
Reme
told
CBS
Mi esota
that
the
co g egatio
had
fi a cial
esou ces,
but
the
issue
was
membe ship.The
chu ch
ultimately
closed
its
doo s
afte
oughly
seve
decades.
Rathe
tha
simply
wi di g
dow
its
affai s,
the
emai i g
membe s
spe t
time
decidi g
how
the
chu ch’s
esou ces
could
co ti ue
helpi g
the
wide
commu ity.
The
co g egatio
chose
o ga isatio s
that
eflected
the
chu ch’s
lo g-sta di g
commitme t
to
helpi g
othe s.
Its
fi al
dist ibutio s
we t
to
21
o p ofits,
i cludi g
food
o ga isatio s,
educatio al
causes
a d
othe
commu ity-focused
g oups.
The
Mi esota
Co fe e ce
of
the
U ited
Chu ch
of
Ch ist
said
the
gifts
came
f om
p oceeds
f om
the
sale
of
the
chu ch
p ope ty.O e
of
the
la gest
i dividual
gifts
we t
to
Loaves
&
Fishes,
which
eceived
$115,000
f om
St.
Ma k’s.
The
o p ofit
said
the
gift
was
pa t
of
a
summe
matchi g
campaig ,
mea i g
do atio s
made
du i g
the
campaig
could
be
matched
dolla
fo
dolla ,
up
to
$115,000.
Loaves
&
Fishes
estimates
that
the
campaig
ca
help
p ovide
oughly
275,000
meals
fo
Mi esota s
faci g
hu ge .
F om
chu ch
to
affo dable
homes
The
co g egatio ’s
ge e osity
did
ot
e d
with
cha itable
do atio s.
The
chu ch
p ope ty
itself
is
also
bei g
give
a
ew
pu pose.
The
p ope ty
was
sold
to
the
Bloomi gto
Housi g
Redevelopme t
Autho ity,
which
pla s
to
edevelop
the
site
i to
up
to
16
affo dable
housi g
u its,
acco di g
to
the
City
of
Bloomi gto .The
t a sitio
will
also
p ese ve
a
small
piece
of
St.
Ma k’s
histo y.
Fo me
pa ishio e s
will
be
able
to
keep
a
time
capsule
placed
i side
the
chu ch’s
co e sto e.
Some
of
the
chu ch’s
fu ishi gs
a d
a chitectu al
eleme ts,
i cludi g
stai ed-glass
wi dows
a d
pews,
have
also
bee
e-homed
athe
tha
disca ded.Fo
a
co g egatio
that
o ce
gathe ed
i side
the
buildi g,
the
e d
is
the efo e
taki g
a
diffe e t
shape.
Its
membe s
may
o
lo ge
have
a
chu ch
to
call
thei
ow ,
but
the
esou ces
they
left
behi d
a e
bei g
tu ed
i to
meals,
o p ofit
suppo t
a d
affo dable
homes.St.
Ma k’s
fi al
act
shows
how
a
commu ity
i stitutio
ca
leave
a
mea i gful
legacy
eve
afte
its
doo s
close.
The
chu ch
buildi g
may
o
lo ge
se ve
its
o igi al
pu pose,
but
the
co g egatio ’s
decisio
to
give
back
mea s
its
wo k
of
se vi g
othe s
ca
co ti ue
well
beyo d
its
fi al
se vice.
