PLAINFIELD — It’s uncertain what will happen to the Plainfield Congregational Church, a 19th century structure in the heart of town that’s slated to close later this year. Will it become an arts venue? Will it be sold? Will the town use it as a public gathering space?
Whatever decisions are made, the prominent building at 1 Church Lane will undoubtedly cease to be a church after two decades of declining attendance. The church’s two-century legacy will end with a final service sometime this fall, says Rev. Bert Marshall, who will be the church’s last minister.
“In our region and in our country there is a decline, especially in mainstream Protestantism. We’re a United Church of Christ congregation, and it’s a denomination that’s in decline,” Marshall said.
After 20 years of declining attendance, the church currently has about 35 registered congregants, but only about a dozen or so of those people attend weekly services. The church’s endowment has kept the community alive, said Marshall.
“Income is based on earnings from a very large endowment,” he said. “A lot of churches in this same position don’t have a lot of money. I guess this church could go on for quite awhile, probably, but that’s not really a good use of an endowment. So we’re trying to figure out what is a faithful use of that kind of money … how do you distribute this money so that it’s faithful to the church’s mission?”
He said there has been a lot of pain in Plainfield’s close-knit church community, but he has tried to reassure them that the closing isn’t their fault.
“I try to tell them [the congregation] they’re not failures. It’s the culture, and it’s the demographics,” said Marshall. “I’ve talked to colleagues all around the region. I’ve been plugged into Massachusetts a long time. It’s just the demographics more than anything, and some churches have managed to buck that trend. They’re the minority.”
He added, “People who are younger, people who are moving to town are not churchgoers. They just aren’t.”
Marshall, a pastor of 30 years, became the Plainfield church’s pastor in 2023. He said when he arrived, the congregation had a serious discussion about its future.
“We did some major gatherings and discernment about just what would be the prospects of trying to revitalize, trying to maintain the status quo, or accepting the fact that we’re in steep decline and need to address that,” he said.
A seven-member “legacy” group meets regularly and is discussing how the church’s assets will be distributed. Since the church is a nonprofit and rules govern the distribution of its assets, the final decision will need vetting by the state attorney general’s office.
Every summer the church is packed for “Concerts at 7,” a classical music performance. Given the church’s role as an arts venue, Marshall floated the idea of the space becoming an arts center, like Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence.
The town is currently envisioning a plan to revive its village green, and the church is central to that green. Meanwhile, town offices and the library are in rough shape. But Marshall said the town has not yet talked with the church about the closing or expressed interest in purchasing it.
There is also the chance that the building could become the core of a historical district in town.
“There are possibilities, but I don’t know how hard it would be to sell a building like this in a small town like this,” said Marshall.
The church community was established in 1786, but the current building replaced a colonial-style church in the early 19th century. The interior of the current church contains a spacious white-washed room with cherry colored carpeting that seats 250 people. Even the cushioned pews are in excellent condition.
“It’s extremely well maintained and well cared for,” said Marshall. “The board of trustees is very conscientious about maintaining the building, repairing.”
There is a recent addition on the back of the church known as “Margaret’s room,” named in honor of a donor, where coffee hours take place after services. It has built-in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and space for people to sit and meet, and it is used for coffee hours and meetings.
“It’s not a huge room, but it’s very well lit and pleasant, and people are very proud of it,” said Marshall.
Walking through the church, Marshall pointed out some of his favorite features, despite the church being mostly featureless, which is intentional and aligns with the look of an iconoclastic New England church.
“I actually like the simplicity of the space — the lines,” he said. “It’s just almost anti-ornate.”
He added: “I like the big windows. For one thing, I like the brightly lit space. Not all churches have that. They have stained glass … The fact that there’s all this outside light that pours into here, whether it’s a morning service or an afternoon funeral, a concert, whatever is happening in the afternoon.”
But Marshall also took a second to contemplate what losing the building will mean for a member of his congregation.
“I was always hoping that my funeral would be here,” Marshall was told. He added, “You’re not even going to know where your funeral is. That’s what’s so sad about this.”