Published: May 28, 2009 01:54 pm      

After 60 years, Morton Memorial on the move in Clark County

Church services will be moved to Park Place until new facility can be built in Jeffersonville

Morton Memorial United Methodist Church will bid farewell to Clarksville and move back to Jeffersonville next month, after 60 years along Eastern Boulevard.

Church leaders say they are ready to close the building’s doors and move temporarily to Park Place Methodist Church.

“You have some mixed emotions about it,” said Lillian Richards, the chair of the church council. “I think that we are kind of sad and glad all at the same time, because we feel like it is a good move because we will be better off financially, I know, and hopefully we can attract more members.”

Richards, 84, is a 38-year member of Morton.

The congregation, with about 100 weekly attendees, will hold its last two Sunday services this weekend at the Clarksville church before moving to Park Place, until it can build a new church on land it already owns along Charlestown Pike in Jeffersonville.

“We expect to be at Park Place for a good year or so, there is no timetable. It may be two years, it may be six months, but whenever we get this [building] sold, we will have money to build the new place and that is where we will go,” said the Rev. John Eckert, associate pastor.

Clarksville Redevelopment Director Rick Dickman said he has met with church officials on a few occasions to discuss how the town can help sell the property, but said Clarksville does not have an interest in buying the property itself.

He said while there has been some interest in the property, it would be hard for a developer to use it without first tearing down the church, unless another church moved in.

Clarksville is in the middle of a $5 million makeover of Eastern Boulevard, and the church’s property sits at the Interstate 65 end of that work.

When the new structure is completed, it will be a homecoming of sort for the 141-year-old church. The original location was in a firehouse on West Maple Street in Jeffersonville. The church then moved to Locust Street before coming to Clarksville in 1950.

The two-story building’s high maintenance costs and needed repairs forced the move back, Richards said. She said the church has not turned on the air conditioning on because it is too expensive.

Chairman of the church trustees James Petty said he has supported moving for more than five years, and the move has widespread approval, with 10 percent of the congregation “dead against it,” many of whom are Clarksville residents and longtime members.

“It is hard to break a habit if you’ve been coming here for 60 or so years,” Petty said. “It is hard, [for them] first to see the building left [behind].”

Park Place was one of two churches which volunteered to take the congregation in after Morton officials asked the district superintendent to explore moving options for them. Jacobs Chapel United Methodist Church in New Albany also offered.

Park Place’s pastor the Rev. Jim Moon III is a close friend of Morton’s newly appointed pastor the Rev. Curt Hunt, who will begin at the church in July.

Petty said Park Place has gone out of its way to prepare for its new guests. He said Morton will continue to offer its same services, including preschool.

The Korean ministry offered at the church will be moving to Park Place, as well.



SO YOU KNOW

• Morton Memorial United Methodist Church will hold its final two Sunday services at its church this week at 435 Eastern Blvd. at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Starting June 7, Morton’s Sunday services will be at 11 a.m. at Park Place Methodist Church. Park Place, located at 1820 E. Park Place in Jeffersonville, will continue having its Sunday service at 9:30 a.m.