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BY CHRISTINE KUMAR
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Amid the bustle of busy downtown Washington, D.C., traffic on the street and sidewalks slows as people take a second look - watching historic Mount Vernon Place UMC crumble.

Part of the 90-year-old church is being demolished.

In two years, the church will make history as it becomes part of a newly built 12-story multi-purpose building that also includes retail and office space. The church has sold two buildings attached to its main 1917 building to Carr America, who will construct a high rise facility in the space.

The future holds many promises and innovative ministries for the congregation.

Wesley Theological Seminary will occupy 7,500 square-feet of the new building, allowing seminary students to learn in teaching labs and minister in an urban setting. The space will also house 18 students.

Asbury UMC, a neighboring church, will occupy 3,000 square-feet to use as meeting space.

In addition, this $7 million dollar project includes restoring Mount Vernon?s 1917 sanctuary to its original splendor by next spring. Children and office workers will have 25,000 square-feet of office and Sunday school space.

Members and friends of Mount Vernon Place attended a play in April in which six Georgetown University students depicted the past of Mount Vernon Place from its 18th century beginnings to the present. The church was founded, with 50 members, in 1850 as part of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

'There is power when we tell our stories; when we remember the past, recall God's faithfulness at every twist and turn, and forge on to the future,' said the Rev. Donna Claycomb, pastor of Mount Vernon Place UMC.

Mary Elizabeth Myers, a member of Mount Vernon Place for the past 50 years, is excited about the ground-breaking and the changes that the church is undergoing. As she looks forward to the ministries that will take place, she cannot forget the past of the church where she worshiped, married and sang in the choir for 37 years.

Myers also understands that the church membership has been declining for the past 40 years and a radical change needs to take place in order to make disciples for Christ. It currently has 50 to 60 members whose average age is 82.

In 1939, following the merger of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Protestant Church the congregation continued to grow and a thriving Chinese community from nearby Chinatown began worshiping in the basement of the church.

The 1950s were a time of remarkable growth for the church. Attendance was at its peak with over 4,000 members.

But in 1968, a gradual decline grew into a crisis. That year, riots in the nation?s capital following the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., caused mass confusion and destruction as buildings were burned down.

The church was left untouched. Many people believe that it?s because the African-American custodian of the church wrote, 'Soul' with soap on the glass front door of the church.

In 1995, Mount Vernon Place began a shared ministry with the Chinese Christian Community. Five years later, the Chinese purchased their own church a few blocks away and Mount Vernon Place sold a portion of its property to redevelop its historic sanctuary.

Now a new chapter in the church?s history is unfolding.

Today, the church office, Bible study and meetings operate out of a trailer which is secured by a locked fence in front of the demolition where part of the church still stands on Massachusetts Avenue.

Sunday morning worship is held at the nearby National Music Center.

'There is transformation already in the church, said Claycomb. 'Giving has gone up 21 percent and we have new people starting new ministries. This will be a mecca of activity once the renovation is complete.'