A historic church in Manhattan called The New Church, also known as The Church of the New Jerusalem or Swedenborgian, was recently purchased by the government of Serbia after being listed on sale in the previous two years. It is reportedly 'one of New York's most picturesque houses of worship.'
New York's Church Sold to the Serbian Government
A report from The New York Post stated that the beautiful New Church, located at 114-124 East 35th Street, was constructed in 1859 by followers of the Swedish theological scholar Emanuel Swedenborg. The Serbian government has just purchased the church for $15 million.
The beautiful front yard of the once-used place of worship, which is currently unoccupied, features a variety of plants. Craig M. Dix, who works for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, was the one who spoke on behalf of the church. He stated that the other bidders included a performing arts company and a religious institution.
Moreover, The Christian Post reported that in 1805, adherents of Swedenborg's teachings took his message to New York. These individuals reportedly rejected or opposed existing church views. In New York, early supporters of the movement had their gatherings in various places for several years before they could settle down in a building on Pearl Street that they had purchased in 2021.
As mentioned, the church sold the building on Pearl Street to the Zion Baptist Society in 1838 and afterward began holding services at various new places. In the 1850s, James Chesterman offered them an offer to purchase three lots on 35th Street, close to Fourth Avenue, with the proviso that they construct a new church tower on the land.
Eight years later, in 1866, a plan was drawn to enlarge the property the church owned on the right side of the building. Moreover, due to the water damage to the roof timbers, the church was forced to close its doors in 1990, when the number of active members had dropped to 18. In order to raise funds for the necessary repairs, the church decided to sell part of its property.
In addition, The New Church in Manhattan is the latest church to close its doors due to the lockdowns implemented as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also Read:Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church Building Put On Sale For Various Reasons
Impact of Covid19 Pandemic on Churches
According to an investigation conducted by ABC of churches located in more than 3,000 counties throughout the United States using cellular phone data supplied by Safegraph, the number of people attending church services in person has decreased by 45 percent since the beginning of the pandemic.
Numerous congregations have begun holding virtual services to maintain their sense of community during the past two years. However, leaders of churches believe that keeping all-virtual services is not feasible for most churches in the long run. The current situation is financially depleting churches and making the experience less enjoyable for many people.
The leaders of churches have said that individuals are more willing to give money when they attend services in person. Accordingly, the community's morale suffers when it does not have the opportunity for personal engagement that can only come from having individuals physically attend services.
Related Article:St. Bernard Church Now Up For Sale For $250,000 Following Deconsecration in 2022
Manhattan's New Church sells historic building to Serbian gov't for $15M https://t.co/sYjOS5mfgC
— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) April 11, 2023
