Church closure helps another thrive

CLEARWATER — A sad sight for a church of any Christian denomination is boarded up windows and unfinished dreams for ministry. United Methodists in the Greenwood community of Clearwater, however, are celebrating that the recent closure of Belmont Park United Methodist Church has coincided with the flourishing vitality of another congregation.

About three years ago, the predominantly African-American Mt. Zion United Methodist Church and the mostly Anglo Belmont Park agreed to share Belmont’s facilities. Mt. Zion had outgrown its property and was facing a renovation project that would cost more than the facilities’ total value.

Church leaders had discussed a merger of the two congregations, but Belmont Park’s leaders knew their church was likely to close. Attendance had dwindled to less than 30, and the church was unable to meet the needs of its Hispanic and African-American neighbors. They didn’t want the closure of the church to be the final word, however.

In early 1997 the Rev. James Mitchell, pastor of Mt. Zion, met with the Rev. John Hubbard, Belmont Park’s pastor, to discuss Mt. Zion’s use of classroom and fellowship hall space for its after-school programs. Instead, Mt. Zion’s trustees eventually recommended moving the church’s entire ministry to the Belmont property.

“At the time, Mt. Zion was not looking for a church. Mt. Zion had a church,” Rev. Mitchell told the Review. “After realizing it was a win-win situation, 93 percent of the congregation voted to share the facility to be better equipped to do ministry in the north and south Greenwood areas.”

The partnership “worked out great” for Mt. Zion, Mitchell said. “…Since that time, the congregation has grown by 35 percent to 180 in membership. Worship attendance has increased about the same to about 95 to 100 persons. We’ve gone from having programs twice per week to programs just about every day,” he said.

Mitchell’s congregation has invested about $400,000 into the old Belmont property, expenditures the now-closed church was unable to make.

The old Mt. Zion property was sold about a year ago. Belmont Park’s official last day was June 3, and Hubbard, who had also been serving as pastor of nearby Safety Harbor United Methodist Church, recently began a new appointment at Pine Hills United Methodist Church in the Orlando District.

Mitchell said a few families from Belmont Park have worshipped at Mt. Zion since the former church officially closed.

“The beauty of this whole thing was that here is a black congregation in downtown Clearwater, whose building was falling apart, whose pastor was looking for other options,” Hubbard told the Review. “Belmont Park had this huge facility and was depressed that it wasn’t being used. God, in his infinite wisdom, said these two congregations could bless one another.”

Both congregations “had a different idea than what God did,” Hubbard added. “They thought they could come together and eventually have one congregation. God’s perspective was that they could work together and continue ministry in a transitional community. It took a lot of work, but the ministry of the United Methodist Church in that community is growing stronger rather than dissipating into history.”

The Rev. Dr. Kevin James, superintendent of the St. Petersburg District, said the relationship between Mt. Zion and Belmont Park is unique.

“It is a great story of how two different, yet unique, congregations decided to look beyond the various types of ‘isms’ of society, and work on behalf of the kingdom of God,” he said. “I’m personally saddened by Belmont Park’s closure, yet I’m extremely proud that their legacy will continue to exist throughout Mt. Zion, Safety Harbor, the United Methodist Children’s Home and a future new church start in the St. Petersburg District.”

Belmont Park left funds to support Safety Harbor, the Children’s Home and a church plant slated for 2004.

James said Bishop Timothy Whitaker recently appointed a group to work on cross-cultural/cross-racial appointments. “This has been one testimony here of how it can work, when folks look beyond themselves,” he said.

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