Matt777 wrote:muncien wrote:
@ Cowboyeagle... Have you ever actually been inside the campus? It has a ridiculous amount of space for informal meet/greet. More so than any church I have ever visited, by far. I haven't been there for a couple of years, but those spaces were always teaming with activity. It was nothing like that even ten years ago.
Teeming with activity?? Is April Fools extended for the whole month now? I have lived downtown in 2 different properties for years, including right next door to this complex. It is a dead zone except for a brief amount of time on Sundays when luxury SUVs flood the streets, with no regard to pedestrians and a total ignorance of pedestrian right of way (unless you're protected by their rent a cops), get in the building as fast as they can, and get out of downtown as fast as they can after service. Other than that, this area is deader than the surface parking lot areas the rest of the week. During the week, the only humans present are their private security staff to make sure they can get rid of homeless people if they dare come near their temple of God. Ever notice how this is one of the only areas downtown where you don't see homeless people? That's why.
Like I said... It's been a couple of years since I have been there. But the level of activity three years ago (Sunday's obviously, but weekdays too) far exceeded the amount of activity ten years ago. It wasn't even close... Perhaps some of the that has changed with the movement of the Academy, but I can't imagine it's that significant.
Also, your passion is noted, but the 'get in and get out' comment is simply not true. Unlike the Cathedral Guadalupe and First United Methodists campuses, FBD has significant community meeting space that is crowded most of the day on Sunday. Much of their parking challenges was due to the fact that worshipers don't clear out after the service and instead linger, or walk to KWP afterwards. So, even though the population is staggered across multiple service times, the area is essentially full for much of the day.
I am not, and have never been a member of FBD. I have attended many services at both Cathedral Guadalupe, FBD, and even Methodists a couple of times when family comes to visit. I do not align myself with any of them personally, but from a visitors perspective, FBD seems much more inviting, and integrated with the street than the others. When the economy was in the tank, they continued to pour money into area, and back in the day, they were the ONLY significant activity in the CBD on a Sunday.