Pastor Mik Megary watched the clock in the elementary school gym tick to 9 o'clock. The Fellowship Alliance Church's Sunday service was supposed to begin, but the two dozen folding chairs, carefully arranged into three rows, were empty.

"This is really embarrassing," said Megary, a special education teacher who started the Christian missionary church in Ocean Pines seven years ago.

The church usually attracts about 10 people each week during winter and as many as 40 in summer, but Memorial Day weekend posed a challenge: A few of the regulars were out of town, and no tourists ventured over the Route 90 bridge.

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Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches

1. Ralinda wrote: Back in the late 80’s when we were members at St Andrews by the Sea in Destin (now Immanuel Anglican) attendance didn’t seem to vary much.  Snowbirds in the winter, more tourists in the spring and summer, and the regulars just kept coming for the 2 hour service.  When the traffic was bad we’d bring our beach stuff with us, change clothes after church, and head straight to the beach. May 26, 9:09 am | [comment link]

2. off2 wrote: Ah, the oft debated question - Do we offer the service to God or for the people? Obviously a false dichotomy, but…. I remember one great feast, a scheduled service. We had the priest, one server, the choir director and me. We went ahead. We sang simpler music than usual and the sermon was shorter. Anyone better grounded than I want to weigh in? May 26, 11:46 am | [comment link]

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