Ascension, Pawnee to Close

On May 29, Ascension Day, Bishop Poulson Reed will hold a deconsecration service for the Church of the Ascension in Pawnee. The service will be small and outside the church building, due to mold and structural issues that have rendered the building unsafe. This decision to close the congregation was made collectively by remaining members of the congregation and the Diocese, and ratified according to the canons by the Diocesan Council. Ascension, Pawnee has not held worship since 2019. 

The original stone church was built in 1902 at 6th and Denver. It had a square belfry tower and arched windows along the sides. By 1936, the building was collapsing, and the property was eventually sold. In 1956, a dairy barn once owned by Ted Lusk was converted into a church. At the time, the congregation had no building. The barn was remodeled into a cinder block structure with an arched roof, a cross on top, and a double front door with an attached parish hall to the left. Inside, a center aisle runs between painted wooden pews on either side. At the front, a simple wooden altar rail and dais lead to the altar, which holds a cross, candelabras, and flowers. A lower vaulted ceiling arches over the altar area. 

Older photos dated between 1911 and 1936 show the Rt. Reverend Theodore Payne Thurston seated in the front row, with Mrs. Thurston next to him. Around them were men and women of the congregation. The original stone church, with its three arched windows, can be seen in the background.

Bishop Poulson shares: “It is my hope to close congregations only rarely, and this is the first such closure in my five years as Bishop. In this Easter season, we believe that some deaths can lead to resurrection, by God’s grace. We give thanks for the faithful ministry of clergy and lay people over the years at Ascension, and anticipate working with community partners for a mission-focused future for the building and land.”