Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church is colder this winter.
Forced to cut costs due to economic hardships, the church is offering fewer programs, has cut employees’ paychecks and is keeping the heat in the building low.
And though it’s struggling with fewer funds, the church, 1109 Emerson St., still has to support its members, many of whom have their own monetary problems. Several families from the congregation recently experienced layoffs and three others face foreclosure.
“We have entered a sacrificial mode,” the Rev. Oscar Crear said. “Going out of business ain’t an option.”
The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent last December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Chicago, about 34,000 jobs were lost in 2008.
Religion isn’t the only source of solace in a recession, said the Rev. Barbara Pescan of the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Ave.
“Some people take the opportunity to reach out and serve others to find comfort, and others turn to their television or their computers,” Pescan said.
Many young people today have no point of reference for church, Crear said. Many of his congregation are “third generation churchgoers,” or people who were not raised with any denomination or religion.
“If you got a 20-year-old whose mama is 40 and whose grandma is 85, and they’re not going to church, then they don’t have a faith to go,” Crear said. “Today, the people seeking comfort are trying things like the lottery and palm readers.”
Even without an influx of new members, churches are seeking new ways to help their congregations during the economic crisis.
At the Unitarian Church, officials are developing outreach programs. Now, members can attend the new Economic Climate Anti-Anxiety Group, a discussion held for those who have been part of the banking and finance world. The program is meant to provide comfort, Pescan said.
“People come to feel like they are getting some sustenance, some courage, a regular dose of hope.”
The financial recession could also affect Evanston churches if the Evanston City Council decides to restructure taxes. There is a proposal to create a voluntary payment in lieu of taxes for not-for-profit businesses. Ald. Cheryl Wollin (1st) said the first meeting about the proposal is scheduled for Feb. 16.
“The proposal is for any charity that is in Evanston that doesn’t pay taxes, that there would be some way of recovering city costs,” Wollin said.
Crear said he supports Evanston raising tax revenue by building high-rises and bringing employment opportunities to the city, instead of charging nonprofits.
“(City officials) need to bring jobs,” Crear said. “I got unemployed plumbers in my congregation that need a job; people come in looking for jobs often from us. But they don’t want Evanston to look like Chicago. But life marches on.”
Increased taxes could threaten church programs. Even in hard economic times, churches and their members hope religious service will bring relief.
“It helps people feel that they are doing something, locally, nationally, internationally, working at making life better for people,” Pescan said.
