WHY ARE ALTARS BEING REMOVED FROM OUR CHURCHES?

I was a kid in the 1950’s and a teen in the 1960’s. I grew up attending the New Brighton, PA Free Methodist Church. It was a large church for that time period with an average attendance over 200. They maintained a very large Sunday School attendance by using a vehicle [pun intended] common among churches of that day – repurposed school busses.

Sunday morning was a worship time that focused around the pastor’s message. Sunday evening was considered an evangelistic meeting [it had less than half the attendance of the morning service]. There was more singing in the evening, along with occasional testimonies and special music.

Every Free Methodist Church [as far as I knew] had an altar and used it. People commonly responded to the messages by going forward to pray. Sometimes the pastor would give a special invitation related to his/her message. [At that time there were only a few women pastors, but today there are many!]

When a person responded by coming to the altar, it was not uncommon for others to join them by kneeling beside them – or sometimes even across from them. The pastor would also come and pray with individuals at the altar.

If there was a strong response to the altar – which was common – most people would stay in their seats prayerfully. When the needs presented at the altar were satisfied, it was common for the person to give a testimony about how God had helped them. [This was not mandatory!] Our song leader would usually lead us in singing something appropriate and then the service would end.

At Family Camp every July, the altar was used even more frequently. I have seen the altar filled shoulder-to-shoulder MANY TIMES!  Pastors present would come to pray with members of their church. Mature believers would also assist the many ‘seekers’. The congregation would largely remain seated throughout the prayer time. Testimonies would be given and general rejoicing would take place with occasional outbursts of songs.

I knelt at those altars many times through the maturation process. I initially opened my heart to the Lord at that altar. Tissue boxes were kept near the altar for those who frequently wept out confessions and experienced the forgiveness of God through His Holy Spirit.

While leading churches from 1976 through 2017, I frequently knelt at the altar before the service began. Other committed lay people sometimes did the same. I always served Holy Communion by having the people come forward to receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper. Most knelt for a few moments while they took Communion – and then returned to their seats. Others simply stood to do so, or made their personal altar at their seat. The atmosphere was one of deep gratitude to God and many people reported that the experience was deeply meaningful!

So, that’s why I’m asking the question: Why are altars being removed from our churches?

Debbie and I have been attending an evangelical Presbyterian church for six years now. There is no altar and no opportunity – during worship – to pray with one another in a personal way.

I occasionally have the opportunity to visit other Free Methodist Churches and find that many simply don’t have an altar. Or, if they do, it’s rarely used.

About two months ago, I was struggling with some issues in my life. To be honest, at this point I can’t even remember what they were. However, I remember waking up on a Sunday and wishing that I could pray at an altar. I know that must sound odd to some, but it was deeply ingrained in me that the altar is a place of confession and drawing near to God! I almost went to a neighboring Free Methodist Church that Sunday because of that strong sense of need I was experiencing.

My  initial submission to God took place at the altar when I opened my heart to Him! I made many trips to the altar through my teen years while dealing with the stresses and confusions of adolescence. The campus church – while attending Roberts Wesleyan College - was quite large (attendance of over a thousand at that time). I don’t remember if the altar was used, however, while attending the Asbury Seminary Free Methodist Church in Wilmore, Kentucky – where we lived for three years while attending seminary – the altar was used frequently!

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

I earnestly wonder about this.

Is confidentiality a factor? Is it that we don’t share openly as we might have in decades past? Have we become more private regarding our need of God and the pressures and stresses we may be facing?

Has the church lost passion for God? Do we not seek Him as vigorously as we once did?

Have we become too proud to humble ourselves in public?

Are our services so time-restrained now that we can’t afford to spare time for personal seeking? Large churches have multiple services that are often tightly scheduled and controlled.

____________________________________

These are honest questions. Perhaps because I’m a retired pastor, I think about this a great deal.

If salvations aren’t happening at the altar anymore, where are they happening? Our denomination is in a cataclysmic decline in membership and attendance. Does the missing [or unused] altar have any connection to this fact?

What was going on a couple of months ago when I felt such a need to pray at an altar? Do others experience this need or desire? I miss kneeling at the altar to receive Holy Communion – even though it was a brief posture change. Does anybody else share these thoughts, longings and questions?

If you have thoughts about this, I’d love to hear from you! I’m active on Facebook. My email is halinasia@psmail.net 

 [Responses on this blog page always show up as 'Anonymous' - which, of course, leaves me wondering who it is? Please direct your thoughts in a way that allows for dialogue.  :-)]