8 April 2007

In mid-February, I came across Jon Pareles’ review of Montreal band Arcade Fire’s performance at Judson Memorial Church (“Testing Faith in a Church,” The New York Times, 15 February 2007).  It has taken me quite some time to mull this over and finally to decide to express my thoughts on the event.  I have every respect for the Church and for the band, so with this understanding, I will proceed.

Located on Washington Square South in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, Judson Church has come to stand for being an activist-oriented congregation, voicing the rights of the LGBT community, the homeless, the voiceless, and the poor.  The Church is an ABC/UCC church (which means it is Left and Right), much like Riverside Church in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  Having two such divergent affiliations is in keeping with the Judson tradition of being a "free-church" of liberal Protestantism affirming the right to church autonomy.

If you visit the Judson site at www.judson.org, you will learn that the Church began construction in 1890, by Edward Judson.  He did so in memory of his father, Adoniram, the first American foreign missionary. Edward envisioned his Church to be an institution serving the burgeoning immigrant population of Lower Manhattan through health, nutrition, education, and recreational programs.

Much like Riverside Church, Judson Church received financial support from John D. Rockefeller and other prominent 19th Century Baptists.  With the funds, Edward commissioned the leading artisans of the American Renaissance: architect Stanford White; stained glass master John La Farge; and sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens, to create a splendid edifice where the ‘classes’ and the ‘masses’ could meet on common ground – much like Olmstead’s vision for Central Park.  Although this plan did not pan out as Edward envisioned, the Church continued to offer distinctive healthcare and outreach ministries throughout the 1920s and 1930s. 

Beginning in the mid-1960s, Reverend Moody and composer Al Carmines secured a national presence for the Church, opening it up to experimental, avant-garde artists from many genres - dance, painting, theatre - themselves organized around issues of civil rights, free expression, abortion rights, and the decriminalization of prostitution. More recent Church staff, including Minister Karen H. Senecal, have initiated new programming that seeks to respond to the gentrification of the West Village and related pressures to remove ‘undesirables’, rising homelessness throughout the city, and the growing divide between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in the New Economy.

Over the past decade, Senior Minister Peter Laarman (1994-2003) and other clergy staff have been working to guide the congregation through ongoing generational changes and have been actively addressing the deferred maintenance issues in Judson's aging buildings as well. 

Finally, in April 2005, after over seven (7) years of planning with building engineers, electrical engineers, lawyers, and architects, the Church began its long-awaited renovation of its Sanctuary, gym (formerly Judson House), and overall requirements to meet DOB, fire, and OSHA safety codes and standards including but not limited to the installation of a lift, fire sprinklers, and air conditioning and heating.  Although this last part is not mentioned on their site, I know about this because I had the honor of serving as Judson Administrator and Facilities Manager during this exciting period, under the Ministry of Reverends Senecal and Harris.  Indeed, knowing the history of the Church, hearing the voice of its illustrious Congregants, and having a personal passionate interest in the free speech and civil rights of the homeless and the poor, I was very proud to serve from 2004 through 2006.

It was amazing to take the congregation through a move – single-handedly (with the help of Schleppers Moving and Storage) – from the main building to the condo unit at Furman Hall, adjacent to the NYU School of Law.  It was a great learning experience to take on the additional role of Project Manager, climbing the Church roof, scaling its attic (the ‘cat-walk’), wiring CAT-3s and CAT-5s, testing mold spore counts, scrubbing and cleaning the marble, and seeing the unveiling of the Sanctuary’s new wood floor and installation of its lift – however slow it may be.  As Administrator, Facilities Manager, and Project Manager, this was a multi-tasker’s dream-job.  Quite a learning experience indeed!

This brings me back to the Pareles article that has been in my thoughts disturbingly since mid-February.  There are many layers to my saddened annoyance.  For space of time, I will limit myself to two.  The first one that jumps out is the painstaking details, planning, and expense to install a hardwood floor in the Church Sanctuary, to clean and scrub the marble walls, and to clean and maintain the precious La Farge stained glass windows.  The overpowering and harsh reverberations of a ten-piece “full-tilt rock band” as Pareles states can not be good against the stained glass, and the “sold-out five-night stand” could not be good ‘wear and tear’ on the brand new hardwood floor.  But that is just the Facilities Manager in me.  I may stand corrected.  Perhaps the audience of a rock band would be gentle on the marble pillars and walls, hardwood floors, and brand new carpeting of a church sanctuary.  (Perhaps if we suspend disbelief and live in an alternate dimension.)

The more important second layer to my dismay is the juxtaposition of a for-profit Canadian “full-tilt rock band” and a not-for-profit social activist church.  Part of my responsibilities as Facilities Manager for Judson Church, when I was their Administrator, was to work with the public to coordinate the space use of the Church’s three meeting spaces.  The Meeting Room Sanctuary historically has been a space for the public to use free of charge on the caveat that they are a not-for-profit organization that will not demand an entry fee to their event and that their event and mission is somewhat in keeping with the Church’s.  The maximum occupancy for the Sanctuary is estimated at around 380 pax.  The Gym (formerly the Judson House) has traditionally been a good space for sporting events (with two basketball hoops) and ideal for dancers to rehearse, also open to the public free of charge.  The maximum occupancy for the Gym is estimated at around 250 pax.  Finally, the newly available Assembly Hall in the condo unit at Furman Hall, being carpeted and in keeping with the décor of the NYU School of Law, has a more traditional corporate-like meeting space feel.  The maximum occupancy for the Assembly Hall as posted by the Fire Department is 200 pax.  In the months before I left the Church, I was asked to revise the Church’s space use policy and test out ‘feelers’ for the possibility of charging for space usage.  I called about a dozen churches in Manhattan – from the Village to the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side – and learned it was not altogether unheard of to ask for a nominal ‘donation’ for our space.  Little did I know it would lead to this.

So with all this good space in such a key location, Judson Church has a highly coveted commodity.  Why did it grant space to Arcade Fire?

Furthermore, from Pareles’ article, we learn that some of the band’s song lyrics include:

“I don’t wanna live in America no more” – Windowsill

“Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home” – Intervention

and the band’s second album is aptly titled “Neon Bible”.  Quite clearly then, Judson Church as a venue is rather an accessory – a prop – in stark contrast to the tradition and history of events held in the Sanctuary.  Let us put aside that the event was for-profit and there was some sort of craigslist.org scandal with the ticket purchase for the five-night concert.  Let us even put aside the strong possibility that the Church was more a prop than a hallowed venue.  Instead, let us focus on the song lyrics and the Church mission.  (And quite honestly, I dare not venture further in learning the bands other song lyrics for fear of casting further ammunition in disparity between the band and the Church mission.) 

On the one hand we have a social activist church extolling the right to free speech by exercising it regularly to give voice to the voiceless and the marginalized.  It is a church that yearly supports the rights of PONY to decriminalize prostitution, the civil rights of the homeless, and seeks to sponsor performances of emerging new progressive artists.  On the other hand, we have a band whose song lyrics above are at odds with America and prognosticate the general end of fraternity. 

I can literally hear Edward and Adoniram turning over in their respective hallowed graves. 

I am simultaneously glad that I was not Judson’s Administrator and Facilities Manager in 2007 and I am horrified that I did leave the Church because this would NEVER EVER happen on my watch.  Please do not misconstrue this as an act of suppressing free speech or of any animosity against Arcade Fire.  On the contrary, it is because I believe in America and every American’s First Amendment right to free speech and assembly that I would never condone a group that by going against America goes against the freedoms and rights she represents and extends to her citizens. 

Protest against evils, protest against injustice, express your agenda, but do not cut off your legs while doing so. 

Do not remove your right to express while in mid-expression. 

Groups who use the Judson space and especially its Sanctuary usually request the space because of the Judson history, its symbolism, and its mission.  It seems this band used the space as a prop, making it more kitsch than symbolic, and in turn, bastardized the venue. To support a band that exclaims it no longer supports America and prognosticates that friendship and love will cease to exist is contrary to the civil rights, free expression and overall mission Judson ministers honor and the fraternity and love they yearly extend to the Village homeless and LGBT community.  So again, why did Judson grant space use to Arcade Fire?

Why, indeed and in faith.

I decided to take the position of Judson Church Administrator, despite the long hours, six-day work week, and fact that I never received a raise in pay in the two years I worked there (and I was earning a very humble salary – even by not-for-profit standards) for one main reason.  Aside from the Church mission, it is the ‘underdog factor’.  Just like Frank Capra’s protagonist in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I always root for the underdog.  Always have, always will.  My life experiences have been all about margnilization, overcoming adversity against the worst odds, and this is what has helped me develop my theory on hyphenation. 

I noted earlier the parallels between Judson Church and Riverside Church – their dual denominations and their backing by Rockefeller – but whereas the Judson main congregation numbers about 180, the Riverside congregation numbers about 1,800.  So between size and scale, there is quite a level of difference between the two churches.  However, at the main heart of each, is a surprising warmth amongst the congregants.  I respect and admire each and every Judsonite and hold close their voices, their causes, and their world visions.  They are a great group with a small number and even smaller resources who desperately need a leader to continue the visions of their predecessors – Edward Judson, Howard Moody, Al Carmines, Peter Laarman – and unfortunately, they lack such a leader.  A major factor in my leaving the Church stems from their election of a new Reverend, Donna Schaper, PhD. 

What they needed and searched for was an individual to guide them, to further their missions, and especially to help them with fundraising after a costly renovation. 

At Reverend Schaper’s first Board Meeting, I was quite dumbfounded to hear her state that she would not be in the ‘front lines’ to raise moneys but would rather be in the backseat to help guide and steer the congregants to raise funds.  At the Finance Meeting, I was shocked to learn that she requested additional funds for her ‘Minister’s Discretionary’ line item in the budget.  At her first Staff Meeting, I was knocked off my chair when she explained that she would be doing extensive traveling to promote her book and to do work for the “God is still speaking” campaign – a campaign hosted by a non-Judson organization.  And when you visit the newly redone Judson web site, you will notice the link to her blog, the list of her books, and information about her Judson and non-Judson activities. 

Could Judson Church be a pulpit for her self-aggrandizement and self-promotion? 

To this day, I do not understand what the Judson Search and Personnel Committees were thinking and I do not understand the direction their Reverend is planning with the Arcade Fire concerts in Judson’s Sanctuary.  The only thing I can express is complete agreement with Pareles statement, “choosing the church was a mistake.”  However, not a mistake due to acoustics alone.  No, beyond the acoustics and the textural faux-pas, I add that the Church’s choice was an even greater mistake, one to the further detriment of its history, its mission, its voice, its representees and represented, and more importantly, to its present congregants.  To the point, this was a choice to the detriment of Judson Church qua Edward and qua Adoniram.

With its rich history of helping immigrants, the homeless, the sick, the uninsured, and the marginalized, could the Judson Congregation finally be resigned to muffling their voice in blindness?  Could it be possible that the Church’s need of funds and of press is leading them to a spiraling pervision of their erstwhile history?  Where was the cacophony, I was so proud of?  The dissent?  Where is the volume on the people’s microphone?

A sad day in-faith.