SAN ANTONIO – After 78 years of ministry, a San Antonio church is closing its doors. Jefferson Community Church held its last church service on Easter Sunday.
“It’s going to leave a big hole, it’s going to leave a big gap; I’m filled with sadness for the loss,” said Joe Rivera, a church member.
The once-known Jefferson Methodist Church opened its doors on the West Side in 1946. After generations of giving back to their community, parishioners and the pastor say they’re only left with memories and friendships.
“Our last service was on Easter Sunday, and it was a really beautiful service; it was also a really sad service because we all knew this was the last time we would gather in this building for worship,” said Pastor Olivia Downen-Walker.
Pastor Olivia Dienen-Walker explained their congregation got smaller over the years. The church didn’t bring in as much money and fell behind on bills, including rent to the United Methodist Church Conference. The church disaffiliated with the UMC in 2019.
“They voted to disallow LGBTQ members of the church from serving as clergy or staff or board members, and we just felt that was a huge step backward in history and we wanted to be in a church that was progressive,” said Downen-Walker.
Downen-Walker says the courts ruled that the Methodist Conference owned the property and that as the Jefferson Community Church, they would pay nearly $700 a month in rent and $25,000 for its lost apportionment.
“We had enough that we could keep the doors open, but we didn’t have enough that we could set aside a balloon payment and also we didn’t make enough to keep our insurance coverage,” said Downen-Walker.
The church was asked to vacate the building at the beginning of March; the pastor and parishioner now worry about those they serve. The church’s food pantry, weekly community dinner, community closet, and recovery groups will be closing as well.
“There are a lot of people I don’t see anywhere else but here, and those are the people I will miss because we’re all going to scatter,” said Rivera.
Pastor Downen-Walker says they’re now in the process of selling everything they have to be able to afford a new place to call home.
“The only thing we know right now is that we want to stay as close to this neighborhood as we can,” said Downen-Walker.
The church will have sales on April 13 & 14 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.