After 170 years, church closes its doors downtown
Last worship service was held Sunday; homeless programs will continue for time being
Sharon and Ole Johnson joined First Presbyterian Church of San Jose in January 1958, when they moved here from North Dakota. They are the church’s longest-serving members, so they were genuinely sorry to see the 170-year-old downtown church hold its last worship service and close its doors for good on Sunday.
“It makes me sad,” said Sharon Johnson, a church deacon who delivered the prayer for illumination at the final service. “We knew it was happening, but there was nothing we could do about it.”
Unlike many lost institutions in downtown San Jose, First Presbyterian isn’t the victim of a greedy landlord or part of a big land purchase by a tech company. The congregation’s membership had shrunk to fewer than 20 in recent years, with many members now older than 80.
“We reached a point where we couldn’t keep going. Our programs were all we could handle,” said Charlotte Powers, a longtime member and former San Jose City councilwoman. The members voted to disband, and the Presbytery of San Jose, the church’s regional administrator, approved.
“No one was pushing the church out against their will. The Presbytery of San Jose, which owns the property, would have vigorously pushed back,” said the Rev. Joseph S. Lee, Executive Presbyter, adding that the changing nature of downtown San Jose, as well as the changing nature of spirituality and religion in the United States, were other factors.
The First Presbyterian Church traces its roots to 1849, when it was founded with six mem
bers by the Rev. John W. Douglas. It has had several homes downtown, including a traditional wood church on North Second Street that was replaced by a brick structure in 1863. That church survived until the 1906 earthquake, which damaged it beyond repair. A new church building was dedicated in 1908 on North Third Street, and the congregation thrived there for the next six decades until the property was condemned in 1968 because of structural problems, according to church historian Bonnie Montgomery.
By that time, downtown was at a low point, with businesses and residents fleeing for the suburbs. After worshipping at various locations from 1968 to 1972, First Presbyterian built a smaller sanctuary, with classrooms and office space on part of its property at its final home, 49 N. Fourth Street. The remainder of the property was developed into Town Park Towers, a 10-story senior living community that is no longer owned by the church.
But even through downtown’s ups and downs, First Presbyterian remained a steadfast presence. Its announcement sign facing Fourth Street often included a good chuckle or thought-provoking message, but the words written on the other side “Joining Hands With Christ in the Inner City” were the real mission.
Front Door Communities, a ministry to the homeless and needy started by the church, offers bag lunches for the needy four days a week and a drop-in center for women called Lifted Spirits. A Dignity on Wheels shower and laundry van comes by twice a week, and a van from Gardner Health Services comes by every Wednesday.
And while the Rev. Paula Kelso and the Rev. Erica Rader, representing the Presbytery, officially — and emotionally — dissolved the church at the end of Sunday’s service, those programs will continue at the location, which the Presbytery is preparing to sell. Lee says the plan is to lease the space back from the buyers until they are ready to develop the site, while also looking for a permanent location for an urban ministry.
The final two weeks at First Presbyterian have been emotional. Two weeks ago, the church’s large bell — which was installed at the old church in 1869 and spilled out onto Second Street during the 1906 quake — was moved from its spot outside the sanctuary, hoisted onto a pickup truck and taken to the Presbytery office on Meridian Way. The cornerstone of the 1908 church also has been moved there, and church officials are looking into how they can preserve the four stained glass windows — survivors from the original 14 at the 1908 church — that bracket the sanctuary.
Sunday’s final service was well attended, with nearly 50 people filling the salmon-colored chairs — most showing their age and some lacking seats — including the five members of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos’ Chancel Brass, who performed several times during the service. Several people who use the church’s homeless services sat in the back. Three well-behaved dogs were in attendance, along with Honey, a black-and-white cat Montgomery brought to the church a couple of years ago to help with a rodent problem.
“Today, the emotions of members and friends of First Presbyterian carry sadness, of course,” said Judy Lococo, a member of the church for 52 years, who came up with the name for Town Park Towers. “But much more than sadness we feel a deep gratitude for the countless blessings of being privileged to participate in the many opportunities to serve as God’s helpers in many ways as we touched the countless lives of people who came through the doors.”
For her final sermon at the church, Kelso talked about the ritual summer road trips and how they relate to spiritual journeys. “Death — even the death of a beloved church — is just another stop on the road of life,” she said.
Many members of the congregation said they would spend their summers looking for a new church to call home. No one seemed ready to entirely let go of First Presbyterian.
For the final service, Kelso placed sprigs of rosemary picked from a bush outside the church on a table behind the pulpit. “Rosemary is the herb of remembrance, so it is appropriate for this day of remembrance,” she said. “Out of memory grows hope.”