Tuesday, March 24, 2009

It Takes a Village

As mentioned yesterday, Awakening recently added a second service to their ministry, demonstrating the demand for more church services. Pastor Dennis Minner planted the church in the Village in June 2008 after noticing the lack of churches in the area when he was visiting New York from Missouri. Likewise, in October 2008 Pastors Steve Wolma and Ben Spalink, both not originally from New York, planted City Grace in the Village, though they originally had their eyes on the Financial Disctrict.

It's interesting to see the out-of-state pastors choosing to grow church communities in Greenwich Village. There are actually several churches in the area already. Among them are:

The Village Church
First Presbyterian Church
Church of the Ascension
Judson Memorial Church
University Parish of St. Joseph
Church of St. Luke's in the Field
Our Lady of Pompeii

Is it possible that pastors perceive the need for churches in Greenwich Village because of its bohemian history? Does the Village make a good setting for churches because it is more community oriented with its neighborhood feel and close proximity to NYU?

What areas of New York City do you feel need more churches?

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