NORFOLK — As the 11 a.m. service got underway Sunday at the historic Epworth United Methodist Church in downtown Norfolk, just a dozen people sat among the sanctuary’s many oak pews.
That’s a pretty typical number these days, according to the church’s few remaining members. Some Sundays it’s even less than that.
It’s because of those greatly diminished numbers — and the dire financial circumstances that come with them — that the 130-year-old church will close its doors. The last service is set for Jan. 5.
“It’s just so sad,” said Kathy Ramey, a lifelong member of Epworth. “Of course, we all knew we couldn’t keep it going. Ten people can’t support a church of that size.”
The decision was made by the church’s council during a recent meeting, Ramey said. Not long before that, the group had decided to shut down the church’s longtime preschool. It had become too difficult to find teachers, Ramey said, and the school was no longer making enough to support itself.
Epworth United Methodist first opened its doors in 1894 at the corner of Freemason and Boush streets. The large Richardsonian Romanesque granite and sandstone building was constructed to accommodate the growing congregation at the Granby Street Methodist Church at the corner of Granby and Freemason streets, according to an historical marker outside the church.