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Church trades theater for a grander setting

A growing Presbyterian congregation is moving from BayWalk Muvico 20 to Mirror Lake Lyceum.

By WAVENEY ANN MOORE
Published September 6, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - A congregation that has worshiped for four years in one of BayWalk's Muvico theaters is relocating to another social venue.

Members of the St. Petersburg Presbyterian Church will meet at the Mirror Lake Lyceum, a few blocks away. Their final service at Muvico was Sunday. The move from a 100-seat theater will give the small congregation an opportunity to expand its ministry, the Rev. David Harding said.

"Muvico was an ideal place for us to start, but we didn't intend to stay there long term," Harding said. "The Lyceum will enable us to expand our Sunday morning ministry to include an adult Sunday school hour, which we have not been able to do at Muvico. I believe it will give us greater visibility in the community, but perhaps, most of all, the Lyceum provides an ideal setting conducive to public worship. The grandeur and beauty of the building is simply an echo of the beauty and glory of God, whom we love and worship."

The 1926 Mediterranean revival Lyceum at 737 Third Ave. N is a popular venue for weddings, as well as meetings and other events. Restored a few years ago, it once was the home of the Mirror Lake Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The Presbyterian church is the latest religious group to find it a suitable setting for activities. Recently the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary began offering classes there. A local businessman has been using it for "Life Lessons over Lunch," a spiritual midday gathering.

Worshiping in Muvico's 20-theater multiplex had its advantages, Harding said. But there was one drawback. The congregation's schedule was regulated by the day's shows. Members had to wrap up their activities in time for the movies. "It's been our vision from the beginning to include an adult education class on Sunday morning," the pastor said, but that couldn't be done during the time that was available at the movie theater.

At the Lyceum, services will start at 10 a.m., half an hour later than at BayWalk. Though the congregation will worship at the new location this Sunday, its first official service at the landmark site will be Sept. 17. Harding said the church wants to remain downtown and will buy property, "if it becomes available and if it is feasible for us to do and if the Lord makes it clear that's what we are to do."

St. Petersburg Presbyterian Church started out small, with about 10 families meeting for Bible study in one of their homes. It has grown to 35 families and has an average Sunday attendance of 70. The congregation is diverse, made up of all ages and backgrounds, its pastor said, adding that news of the religious community has spread by word of mouth and through its Web site, www.stpetepca.org.

The downtown congregation is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a theologically conservative denomination formed in 1973, when more than 200 congregations broke away from the Southern Presbyterian Church. It is not part of the larger and more widely known Presbyterian Church (USA), formed in 1983. PCA believes in the inerrancy of the Bible and is committed to evangelization. It is based in Lawrenceville, Ga., and has over 1,500 congregations and about 330,000 members.

PCA churches in the Tampa Bay area include Christ the King in Seminole, Grace Presbyterian in Pinellas Park, Christ Community Presbyterian in Clearwater and Holy Trinity Presbyterian in South Tampa. The St. Petersburg church was sponsored by the South Tampa congregation. On Sept. 24, the St. Petersburg congregation will have a special lunch after worship to celebrate its first anniversary as an organized congregation, or one that's no longer a mission church. Its vision remains the same as when it was begun four years ago in the city's downtown. That is, Harding said, "to build devoted followers of Jesus Christ so that his kingdom is extended in our city and the world."

[Last modified September 5, 2006, 09:30:07]