A Liverpool church that boasts the oldest established congregation in Queens is being sold.

The Zion United Church closed its doors in December according to chair of the closure working group* Ray Baker.

He says the congregation is getting older and their numbers are decreasing.

“Unfortunately, it’s a sign of the times, we’re not having a lot of younger families become members of the church,” said Baker. “So, it’s more difficult to operate it and find the funds to run it.”

Baker says the with fewer than 40 active members in the church, it is no longer possible to pay the bills and upkeep on the 150-year-old building.

Complicating matters further, Baker says their minister retired in June at the same time the church board chair resigned, effectively leaving the congregation without leadership to help guide them through the ever-changing COVID regulations.

At a special meeting Oct. 24, the congregation made the decision to sell and the last service at the church was held in December.

Zion United Church. Photo by Ed Halverson.

Director of the Queens County Museum Linda Rafuse says the Zion United church was formed from congregations that date back to the 1700s, making it historically significant.

The first chapel was built by some of the founding fathers of Liverpool including merchant Simeon Perkins who is buried in the cemetery behind Zion United.

The current church was built in 1866 after a fire destroyed the second chapel the previous year.

Rafuse says the church has already approached the museum about donating several artifacts.

“It will be a loss to the history of Liverpool but we’re here to preserve those memories," said Rafuse.

Baker says a working group comprised of himself and several church elders have received several options for closing down the church from the United Church regional office.

He says there is a distinction to be made between the church and its people.

“The congregation is the people,” said Baker. “And the building is just that, the building.”

Baker says there’s a strong desire within the congregation to stick together.

Some of the options are to continue as a congregation and share space in another church or disband and join other congregations.

Selling the church will be further complicated by the fact it is responsible for the upkeep of three cemeteries.

Cemetery behind Zion United Church. Photo by Ed Halverson.

Baker says the working group is in discussions with United church officials and the municipality to determine what options are available for dividing the cemeteries from the church while ensuring the graveyards continue to be maintained.

“We can’t sell the church with the cemetery. I mean, what buyer would want the building, for whatever purpose but also have a cemetery to look after,” said Baker.

A meeting will be held Feb. 12 where the congregation will be presented with their options and decide on how to proceed.

*A previous version of this story mis-identified the closure working group as a disbanding committee. The story has been updated with the correction.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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