SAN ANTONIO — A church that has been a landmark on the city's northwest side has shut its doors for the last time.
This closure comes after the church's departure from the United Methodist Church Conference in 2019, and the lasting impact of COVID-19 on their outreach programs.
The Jefferson Community Church has been asking for the community's help in raising funds to keep their doors open.
San Antonio resident Debbie Walters grew up on the northwest side. She was familiar with the church when it was just a tent.
“I was baptized here,” Walters said. “I’ve always walked to this church. That steeple stands so tall in this community for so long. This is such a close-knit community, and this church grounded it.”
Pastor Olivia Downen-Walker says the church was undervalued prior to the separation from the United Methodist Church Conference.
“I think that’s what we’re going through as a church," Downen-Walker said. "We’re just going through growing pains right now. We could not bring in enough donations to also give tithes to them. We were bringing enough to keep our church going, and to support ourselves being here, but we weren’t bringing enough in to give to the world church above us.”
Jefferson Community Church agreed to rent the buildings they’ve called home for nearly eight decades until they could raise the money to buy them, leaving the church, congregation, and community to come up with $600,000. But that wasn’t their sole purpose for the separation.
“The world church decided to no longer allow LGBTQ persons to serve as clergy members or staff members,” Downen-walker said.
She continues that she felt that was a huge step backwards.
“For them to come and say that these people were not worthy of serving God was just insane to us," Downen-Walker said.
Recently after coming to terms with the church closing, church members found something special from up above: a double rainbow.
“I’ve actually been at this church since I was four-years-old. 39 years this place has been my home, my safe haven, my community, my family, so saying goodbye to this part of my life is like saying goodbye to the house you grew up in,” Downen-Walker said.
The church is still welcoming donations as they search for a new home, if you’d like to help, go HERE.
They will be working with the historical society to see if the church can be viewed as a historical site, so it can’t be torn down or bulldozed.