From Church to Fraternity

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But after peaking in the 1970s, "membership has gradually fallen off," says Rosalie Karunas, who has been a church member since joining as a student in the early 1960s. There currently are about eighty people on the church rolls, but only about thirty-five regularly attend services, and only one of those is a student.

Fuller attributes the drop in membership to a "culture change. It's a busier world. It's harder for people to give time." Three years ago, the congregation requested a financial assessment from the national Disciples of Christ. It "concluded that the church was mismatched to the neighborhood and recommended we relocate," says Karunas.

Although the congregation accepted the need, the decision to leave their church was hard. "It's a real beauty for a small congregation," says Fuller. "I love the building. I love its creaks, I love all its goodness. The sanctuary is not large but has a quiet beauty I think people sensed the minute they walked in."

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