Congregation divided over fate of historic San Jose church
SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- In San Jose, there are plans in the works to demolish a historic church building to make way for a housing development. The pastor says it's the only way to save the church but some in the congregation are pushing for it to be declared a city landmark.
Grace Baptist Church played an important role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the congregation would like to carry that mission of social justice into the future. The question is: do they need the building to do that?
The church was built in the late 1940s and was at one time ministered by famed anti-war crusader Rev. Shorty Collins. The basement was used as a recruiting location for the early United Farm Workers Union and Cesar Chavez was known to speak there.
Dr. Penny Hogg began going to the church in 1961 when she was a student at San Jose State University.
"We had students from our group here at the church go to the "Summer of Mississippi" and help register voters. This church represents a conscience and always has and it's still so valuable," Hogg said.
While the passion for social justice may live on, the building probably won't. Plans are in the works to demolish the huge block-long church property to create a new mid-rise housing and commercial-use development here.
Pastor George Oliver explained why they decided to sell it.
"At the beginning of this year, our treasury was somewhere dipping below $60,000 total for the year," he said. "So, we were in a dire strait."
Rev. Oliver said the church cannot exist in that financial situation and he said the only way to continue its ministry is to give up the 80-year-old edifice.
"What we did was use the resources that God had given us almost a century ago in the best use of it now," he said.
Oliver says the new development will include a 10,000 square foot space for the church with ceilings high enough to accommodate the church's huge, silent-film-era theater pipe organ. The pastor estimates it could take about two years to get city approval for the project and another three years after that to complete construction.
But longtime church member Jeanne Wardrip said all the church's outreach programs operate from the building and she opposes the plan to demolish it.
"It was hurried because this ... particular development made the most money and, when you have a pastor that's only been here one year, he doesn't care about the history of this building or the building. He cares more about the money and what he can do with it."
The pastor said the plan was approved by two-thirds of the congregation and an agreement with the developer has already been signed. Some who oppose it have filed to have the church recognized as a historical landmark for both its history and architecture.
The city is considering the idea but has deferred a decision pending more investigation. In the meantime, the pastor said they're moving ahead with the plan that he said would sacrifice a building to save a church.
"Preservation would mean financial devastation for this church," he said. "That's the short answer for that."
Dr. Hogg disagrees. She believes there is enough land to create a new development without having to tear down the old sanctuary.
"It's still very relevant," she said, "and is a vehicle of service for the 'least of these'"
