DENVER — In the 123 years Trinity United Methodist Church has served the community in downtown Denver, it has never tried what the church is doing now. Pastor Ken Brown has made the sanctuary available as a venue for concerts and events.
"One of our challenges has been how to attract people downtown so at Trinity, we’re re-imagining our space," Pastor Brown said. "Part of that re-imagining is creating other opportunities to gather community together that are connected to the arts."
Brown said that since the pandemic fewer people have come downtown to attend services. So, Brown said urban churches have to think of new ways to get people back in the building.
"Most churches are operating like startups. We’re having to re-imagine who we are, how we connect with people and think about new ways to invigorate and create community," Brown said.
Trinity sits across from the Brown Palace Hotel. The church is hosting Candlelight Concerts and working with AEG to put on other events. Friday night, the church is hosting a ghost hunter who will share her experiences with the audience.
"This is pretty revolutionary for me because I never imagined that religion could be as divisive as it is today and what I’m learning is people are coming together to experience music and the arts and concerts in a way I never imagined," Brown said.
Brown said the hope is that if people come on Friday night, maybe they'll return on Sunday morning. He said it's already working. He has seen new faces at Sunday service who came to the church for an event. Brown said one person even joined the choir.
"It creates a spark for someone to remember creation and the creator and one of our hopes is to spark people’s imaginations about what it means to be spiritual beings as well as human beings in a space that honors one another," Brown said.
More reporting by Nelson Garcia: