ADDISON TWP. – After 180 years of serving spiritual and community needs, the Lakeville United Methodist Church (UMC) is at a crossroads that could mean the end of the line for this historic local institution.

Following an evaluation of the church’s current viability and vitality, the congregation received a June 28 letter from the Blue Water District of the Detroit Conference of the United Methodist Church recommending that it either merge with an existing congregation or discontinue itself.

The “likeliest merger partners,” according to the letter, are Oxford UMC on E. Burdick St. or Mt. Vernon UMC in Washington Township.

At some point, Lakeville’s membership will have to vote on these options.

Reaction

To longtime members, like Joan Trevaskis, who’s been attending the church since the early 1980s, the news was a devastating shock and has caused her a great deal of emotional distress.

“Every time I talk about this, I get upset,” she said. “My (two) kids were baptized there. I was married there.”

When church member Maxine Louwaert received the news, it “upset” her.

“I was totally mad,” she said. “I said there’s no way it’s going to happen. I’m going to do everything I can to keep it from happening. I know there’s other good churches out there, but we’ve just been coming here for a long time. I’m not ready to give up on it yet.”

Louwaert has been attending the church with her husband, Gene, since the late 1970s and became a member in the 1980s. She likened the possibility of Lakeville UMC closing to “losing a family member.”

“I think we’d all be in tears,” said Louwaert, who got choked up at that point. “I think a lot of people feel that way.”

“I was very sad,” said Sherry Beens, a 12-year member of the church and Addison Township’s deputy supervisor. “I thought this is going to be the last time I see all these people. We’re not going to have a place to congregate.”

“I’m definitely understanding (of the fact) that they’re upset and saddened that they’ve even had to discuss this, and so we’re going to wait and have a time for them to continue to discern what’s going on,” said Rev. Elizabeth Hill, superintendent of the Blue Water District.

But Trevaskis, Louwaert and others aren’t waiting. They’re acting. They’re on a mission to save their church and they’re reaching out to the community for support and, most importantly, new members.

“We’re looking for people with ambition and talents and ideas,” she said. “We want you here. We want your ideas. We’re looking for a new direction and people who will participate.”

“We’re flexible,” Louwaert said. “If people (have) got new ideas, we’re willing to try and stay open.”

“We’d like to let the community know that we are still here,” Trevaskis noted. “We want to do outreach programs.”

What’s the current situation?

In a nutshell, merger or closure was recommended because Lakeville’s congregation is very small, consists of an aging membership and just isn’t as active as the UMC feels it should be.

“It’s been a growing issue. It didn’t happen overnight,” said Rev. Jacque Hodges, who’s served as Lakeville’s pastor for two years.

Some of the reasons stated in the letter from the Blue Water District included:

• “A very small number of volunteers are available (12) to carry out the ministries and administrative work of the church. The busyness required of the few workers means that the mission purpose of the church is eclipsed by the pressing need for upkeep, fund-raising and this in turn, fosters an inward versus outward focus.”
• “The average worship attendance has declined over the last several years and was at 18 in 2015.”
• “The congregation has not received a new member in more than 7 years.”
• “The congregation has no current, viable, lived-out mission and vision for ministry.”

Reasons related to finances and handicap-accessibility were also cited in the letter.

According to the letter, the “primary purpose” of a local church is to be “outwardly focused and missional, for the good of its surrounding community and the world,” and Lakeville UMC is not fulfilling this.

The congregation currently has 19 members, according to Hodges.

“We don’t have many,” she said.

A member is someone who has come before the congregation and formally asked to join, Hodges explained. Members are the only ones eligible to vote on the merger and closure options.

Hodges said Lakeville is suffering from the same problem that many other churches are experiencing these days.

“Church is no longer a priority for people,” she said. “All churches are saying the same thing – the Sunday soccer game has replaced church.”

Some members argue that just because the congregation’s numbers are down doesn’t mean this should spell the end for Lakeville UMC.

“I think we’re going through a dry spell,” Louwaert said.

“The church has had low times before and we’ve managed to build it back (up),” Trevaskis said.

Despite the contents of the letter, some members argued the church still does its best to serve others and the community.

“When people have needs, they can contact the church,” Trevaskis said. “We’ve made rent payments for people. We’ve paid phone bills for people. We’ve given food. We support local charities like (Oxford-Orion) FISH.”

“AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meets in the basement every Sunday,” Louwaert said. “I feel that’s serving the public – a lot of good people that maybe wouldn’t have any other place to go. We’re there to help anybody in a bind.”

The vote and what it could mean

Exactly when Lakeville’s membership will be voting on the merger and closure options has not yet been determined.

“I can’t tell you right now. That comes from our district office,” Hodges said. “As soon as I know, the people will know.”

According to Hill, the vote has not yet been scheduled.

“It will be sometime before fall, but I don’t know, so what I would say is that once that vote is made, then I can give you some information,” she said.

According to the June 28 letter if Lakeville UMC were to vote to merge with either Oxford or Mt. Vernon UMC, it would bring “all assets, including assets from the sale of the church building, into the new congregation.”

If the church congregation votes in favor of “discontinuance,” the letter states the members could “transfer” to another church “of their choosing,” while the Lakeville UMC building “could be sold and any remaining assets allocated to churches, missions or ministries as the congregation decides.”

“We’re still in the process, so to say this is going to happen or that’s going to happen, it’s so premature,” Hodges said. “There’s so many layers to this.”

The pastor noted the above options are not as “cut and dry” as they may seem.

“There are so many options within the option,” she said.

For example, if Lakeville voted to merge with the Oxford UMC – and if Oxford’s congregation agreed via its own vote – Hodges explained Oxford could support Lakeville as a “new church start,” which means letting the congregation stay right where it is and helping build up its numbers until it becomes viable.

“There are so many options out there,” Hodges stressed.

This reporter asked Hill what would happen if Lakeville’s members rejected both of the options and decided they wanted their church to stay open and independent.

“We will do some more talking,” she replied. “So, that’s all I can say at this time.”

“They would have to do a lot of hard work in order to stay open as a church,” Hill added. “That’s really where we are right now and I don’t have anything more to say about what would happen ‘if’ because I don’t know.”

A bit of history

If Lakeville UMC were to close its doors, the community would most definitely be losing a tangible link to its past.

Although the actual church building, located at 1422 Milmine Rd., was built in 1856, the congregation had its start in either 1832, 1834 or 1836 (there are conflicting historical accounts and newspaper articles).

“The church group united, called together by William Hagerman, and their first prayer meeting was held at the Hagerman home,” according to a June 20, 1956 front-page story in the Oxford Leader about the church’s upcoming centennial celebration.

According to a Sept. 24, 1942 article in the Leader, the first congregation, or “little band” as the paper called it, had 11 members.

About two decades after the Lakeville congregation was established, its members decided to build a 30-foot-by-40-foot church with a steeple in town. The church still stands 160 years later and is arguably the community of Lakeville’s most prominent landmark.

“For a church to be there that long, it must mean something to a lot of people,” Louwaert noted.

A desire to keep the doors open

After almost two centuries of existence and serving others, the church’s small membership is determined to not go gently into that good night. They’re raging against the dying of the light and looking for the next generation to carry the torch.

“We’re just a basic little church that wants to thrive and wants to spread the word,” Trevaskis said. “We want people to join us and be part of our community, and we want to be part of their community.”

“We are one of the few, small, traditional churches left. I think that’s important,” she added. “Not everybody wants the entertainment value of the big churches. Song, dance and hype – that’s not us.”

“We’re all friendly. We’re all there to help each other out,” Louwaert noted “We’re all close. We care about each other. We’re there for the community. Whatever may happen, we’re there.”

Beens believes Lakeville UMC offers its members something the big churches don’t – “personal contact.”

“People know you, know your family, know your kids,” she said.

Prior to joining Lakeville, Beens attended a large church in Troy.

“I went there for a year and never met a soul. I didn’t reach out and I know that you have to reach out, but I was never approached, either,” she said. “Within a few months of going (to Lakeville UMC), I knew everybody and everybody knew me, and I was involved in everything.”

Despite the Blue Water District’s view of things, Beens believes Lakeville UMC is still “very viable.”

“We have a very nice facility and a very nice bank account,” she said.

Unfortunately, Beens believes its attractive assets are the main reason there’s a push to get Lakeville to either merge or close.

“They’re getting rid of all these small churches,” she said. “They’re going to end up with just the big churches that have a bigger congregation and not so many of these small ones.”

“A lot of churches are doing that. It’s common,” Beens continued. “There’s just not enough money and people to go around. It’s business – organized religion is business.”

Trevaskis, Louwaert and Beens all agree that if Lakeville is going to move forward and thrive on its own, the church needs a new pastor. Someone young, vibrant and energetic with a family and a willingness to live in the community is their preference.

“You have to have a basic leader and, to me, that should be the minister,” Trevaskis said.

In end, Lakeville UMC’s membership hopes the community will hear its plea and consider joining.

“(The church is) part of our lives and it can be that way for others, too,” Trevaskis said. “Just come and give us a chance.”

She hopes to attract families with young children to the church. “We would love to have families,” Trevaskis said. “The youth are really where it’s at. We’ve got to have the young blood in there.”

“A lot of people have their own families, their own priorities, but I think come Sunday, it’s time to come to church and be together,” Louwaert noted. “That’s important.”

To learn more, please contact Trevaskis at (248) 505-2859.