Historic Tacoma Churches Need More Than Faith

"'We're kind of running on empty,' said the Rev. John Alvord. Unless the 99-year-old church grows or leases more space, it could reach a crossroads in the next three or four years, Alvord said.

One option stands out: selling the church to a developer who would almost surely tear it down.

Two blocks away, this fate already is playing out at First United Methodist Church. Today its members celebrate Easter for the last time in the 89-year-old sanctuary, sold to make way for a hospital expansion.

First Methodist's demise has awakened churchgoers, pastors, preservationists and neighborhood activists to the threats facing many of Tacoma's oldest and grandest churches, including several in the Hilltop area."