Growing faith

In the early days of Cape Girardeau's history, there were few churches and places of worship to be found in the city.

Today there are more than 100 places to worship, including an Islamic mosque, storefront chapels and a contemporary Christian church designed for multimedia presentations.

Religion has always played an important role in Cape Girardeau's development, but the community owes much to its faithful forefathers.

The first church organized in Cape Girardeau was St. Vincent's Catholic Church in 1833. The parish dedicated its first building in 1839, which was later destroyed by a tornado. But a storm didn't stop the parish, which rebuilt at the same location. The building still stands, more than 150 years after its construction.

Old McKendree Chapel is the oldest Protestant church west of the Mississippi that is still being used for worship services. The structure, like a log cabin, was built between 1818 and 1819 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church sits on property outside of Jackson -- its original location -- and was the first location for Methodist worship services in the area.

Old St. Vincent's and New McKendree, like many of the first churches built in the area, were built in stages as materials and money were available. But today's building projects take less than a year in most cases.

La Croix United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau spent about 15 months in construction for a new worship sanctuary that offers state-of-the-art technology for multimedia and surround-sound features in an amphitheater seating arrangement.

The church is the only one of its kind in the region and looks more like a performing arts center than a sanctuary. But 21st century churches find that traditional models and structures aren't what attracts people. The message has to be sound and of good quality for people to want to visit.

Many of Cape Girardeau's churches moved from a traditional structure of Sunday morning Bible study groups and corporate worship with a piano and organ accompaniment to a contemporary rock music style of worship during the 1990s.

Churches wanted to reach baby boomers and people who didn't grow up sitting in a pew every Sunday. Adapting the Christian message to a new worship model seemed to attract newcomers, and it also meant a building boom in the city.

Churches like La Croix, which originally met in a movie theater, Lynwood Baptist Church and Cape Bible Chapel were busting at the seams during Sunday morning services. All added more worship services to accommodate the crowds and then began looking for ways to expand their buildings.

La Croix purchased land on Lexington Avenue and eventually moved out of the theater. Lynwood left its original home near Alma Schrader Elementary School and built off Route W. Cape Bible Chapel expanded its sanctuary at its location on Mount Auburn Road.

All the construction created a row of worship centers along Lexington Avenue and Mount Auburn Road.

Since no agency or organization compiles a complete list of every congregation or faith group that meets within the city limits, the exact numbers vary. There are more than 70 church and faith groups listed on the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's worship directory, which is included in its relocation packets.

Most of the city's congregations are Protestant and fairly small, though there are churches with 1,000 or more members.

But as congregations grow, church leaders are trying to find ways to make sure everyone feels connected. Small group ministries and Bible studies that meet in homes are just some of the ways larger churches reach all members.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126