Recently, I was alone in an empty church building in Florida, stood at the pulpit where I had preached hundreds of times as pastor, and privately held “last rites” for the old edifice. The property, which is worth several million dollars, will probably be sold to a nearby school and bulldozed. After years of struggling, the church finally closed its doors. Trustees of the property blessed my wife with a gift of the church piano--one she loved and on which she had played for many years. It will be a reminder of happy days before the crisis came. Being in the building after my long absence was painful; memories went back more than 40 years This is the building where the congregation and I saw the Holy Spirit come in power--but from which in 1982--we were forced to leave. The Spirit’s gifts and miraculous presence violated denominational doctrines. My ordination credentials were also revoked. When our church problems appeared with pictures on the front page of the local newspaper ninety percent of the congregation and I walked-out and went to the High School. Here, we re-organized as “Grace Fellowship” which became a very successful church. Standing alone in the old building that day and looking at its empty pews, I quoted the words of Jeremiah:
“How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people!
How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations,
And princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! ...
The ways of Zion mourn because none come to the solemn feasts ...
And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed.”
In my mind’s eye, I could still see the spiritually-hungry crowd packed into the auditorium, some, who for lack of seats, had to stand in the foyer. Joyous excitement filled the place as the Holy Spirit moved visibly upon them. Lives were changed. Homes saved. Children restored to their parents. Membership, finances, and evangelism, doubled--then doubled again. The church became a blessing in the community. That was all now gone. Denominationalism had won. I then quoted Psalm 137:1-4:
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, Yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song;
And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?”
