Founders Park at twilight. The Fitzgerald Fountain. September 4, 2019. Paul Goldfinger ©
A. The CMA had its Labor Day meeting, but not on Labor Day. It was by invitation. The Coaster reported on the session extensively, calling it a “End of Summer Season Discussion.” From the description, it sounded more like a summary report.
There were several items which we found interesting in the published report:
—Pres. Badger said that “there is an issue of declining attendance at worship services and at other events. We want to do things with excellence, and we are adding new programs without subtracting the old ones.” Evidently there was no discussion as to the cause (s) of declining attendance.
—Re: “Saturday night shows next year” Jamie Jackson, COO, said “We don’t know. The CMA will evaluate the 2019 season and determine which programs ae effective and which are not.” There was no mention of secular vs. religious contents.
—Re: The dormant OG Fishing Club: Jackson said, “The CMA has met all summer with the fishing club and is trying to work together to have the fishing club and open access to the fishing pier.”
—The CMA has “taken possession” of the Bradley Beach United Methodist Church and is currently doing “engineering studies.”
B. There is a sign on the Boardwalk Pavilion which says that there is an “Ocean Grove Church” which is “in alliance” with the CMA. It says “We are the Ocean Grove Beach Church from May through September and the Ocean Grove Church @ St. Paul’s the rest of the year. ”
People always told me that the CMA is “not a church,” so this nomenclature is unclear from my perspective. At any rate, they say that they have a “brick and mortar”location at 80 Embury Avenue (St. Paul’s) where services will be held after the summer.
If you are interested, their web site is oceangrovechurch.com
THE FIREBIRDS:
C. Here’s a quote by C.S. Lewis sent to me by a friend: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
D. And here is a song written and performed by a lantsman of mine (Yiddish) לאַנדסמאַן named Norman Greenbaum. We’re sending this out to the OGCMA: Here is “Spirit in the Sky.” (In 1969, Norm sold over 1 million copies of this recording.)
According to the office of the tax assessor, St. Paul’s is a church, and the Boardwalk Pavilion is incidental to the Beach.
Of course, you can hold a church service anywhere, but that doesn’t make the location a church.
Editors note: ….and the Camp Meeting Assoc. is not a church, and neither is the Great Auditorium. At the Flea market I heard a number of visitors refer to the Great Auditorium as “the church.” That is not surprising.