Pentecostal power

Congregations join to raise their voices in a new Hanover church

Carrie Baxter of Groton, Conn., felt the spirit at the new Living Hope Foursquare Church in Hanover. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

In this church, the elderly ladies don't sit quietly in the pews. They stand and sway, they clap and sing, and they smile broadly as electric guitar riffs, drums, and young voices reverberate.

At the just-opened Living Hope Foursquare Church in Hanover - part of a rapidly growing Pentecostal network - members actively celebrate their religion. These particular worshipers are also celebrating the end of a two-year journey that has uprooted, tested, and now united two local congregations.

The odyssey began when the 300-member New Life Foursquare Church in Weymouth was at a crossroads, in need of new quarters. The same was true for the 200-member New Hope Church in Rockland.

That raised the question: "Is it possible we could do something together that we could not do apart?" said the Rev. John Hatcher, the New Life pastor. "We were close enough that if we could combine the congregations we would be able not only to purchase a property but to develop a facility."

New Life and New Hope merged, becoming Living Hope Foursquare Church, with Hatcher as pastor. It then bought the out-of-business Raymond's Home and Carpet store in Hanover and launched a $5.5 million renovation.

The resulting new church, expansive and gleaming, opened for worship two weeks ago.

The 33,000-square-foot build ing sits on 7.5 acres and will eventually include ballfields next to a picnic area; finishing touches are still being added. Still to come are a lobby coffee shop, a bookstore, a large youth room, and a gymnasium. A grand opening is planned Sept. 28.

The new facility, already a strong presence on a busy stretch of Route 53, reflects the growth of the Foursquare Church, an evangelical Pentecostal denomination founded in 1927 in Los Angeles.

"When we first came here (in 1984) we had five Foursquare churches in all of New England; now we have over a hundred," Hatcher said. Worldwide, Foursquare reports having 5 million members, more than 50,000 churches, and nearly 60,000 ministers.

"We are one of the fastest growing movements in the world," Hatcher said. "If you looked at 10 of the largest churches in the United States, at least eight of them would be Pentecostal or charismatic in nature."

But sometimes growth is not easy. Getting to this month's opening took the congregation down a rocky road.

For nearly two years, members had to meet where they could, including Rockland's high school auditorium and middle school gymnasium - not ideal venues for worship. Along the way, Hatcher's brother-in-law, David Wilson, lost his position as New Hope pastor, further unsettling some in the congregation.

"The transition was tough on the church," and some people left, said Donna Ogden, church administrator. At one time the two congregations had close to 500 members; for the first Hanover service, about 400 chairs were set up, and about 50 remained empty.

"For some people, who are used to the traditional church, that's been hard for them," agreed Hatcher, whose wife, Lori Hatcher, is co-pastor. He noted that New England churches have "a very traditional feel and rhythm to them," so to ask people to suddenly worship in the school bleachers, "that's too much of a learning curve too fast."

But now, with the opening of the new facility this month, some are coming back, he said.

They have told him they "were just waiting to get into the new building." He also said church censuses are not important in Foursquare. "We are a movement that does not stress legal membership. It's more on the idea of attendees and adherents."

While Foursquare is solidly evangelical, it does not reach out door-to-door or on TV. Instead, Hatcher said, "we believe more in relational evangelism, where there's a context of relationship." Growth happens quietly as the church community builds on personal relationships, what Hatcher calls a "sphere of relationships."

Living Hope certainly has room to grow. The meeting hall can hold 500 - or 600 if the aisles are narrowed, said Ogden. Hatcher hopes to add a second Sunday service someday.

While the new quarters are thoroughly modern, there is a stylized steeple that is to have stained-glass windows, Hatcher said.

But there are no pews; the meeting hall has rows of cushioned chairs. Lighting is not subdued; it's bright and cheery. And the spacious altar contains microphone stands and a drum set.

Music is a big part of Living Hope, Ogden said. An audio engineer was hired to plan the acoustics, and a system of sound baffles will be installed. Computerized screens cast words to songs on the walls so the congregants can join in, which they do with gusto.

Elsewhere, there is a spacious, toy-packed playroom for tots, offices, and quarters for Sunday school. On the second floor, the Master's Academy, an interdenominational Christian school, meets weekdays in space it rents.

There is a strong emphasis on youth. The youth group has 60 members, Ogden said.

Hatcher said the church tries to catch youth "before they have to be rescued, so we do a lot with sports, a lot with music, a lot with theater - we're trying to fill in the blanks a little bit." Already, family picnics have been held, and Hatcher said he'll take advantage of the YMCA next door.

At the first service, a family sidled into a row of chairs. The adults stood. A boy, about 6, turned to his two younger sisters and urged them to stand. "Up, up," he commanded, to no avail. Around them, adults swayed to the music, singing and clapping.

Steve Hatch can be reached at Stevelhatch@verizon.net.