Reading room relocates
to church in Chevy Chase
The Christian Science Reading Room at 4520 East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda has closed. You can now access a Reading Room at the nearby church itself, First Church of Christ, Scientist, which is located at 7901 Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase. On foot, you can take East-West Highway to Connecticut, and the church is about a block-and-half north of East-West, across from the Columbia Country Club.
Christian Science Reading Rooms have existed for over 100 years, and are designed to provide a quiet place to read and reflect on the Bible and Christian Science literature. The loss of the downtown location is certainly a blow for the church in reaching a larger number of workers and residents.
The number of persons who identify as Christian Scientists has fallen by 65% in the last 80 years, and the number of persons who call themselves Christian Scientist practitioners has fallen by 86%. So it's really not surprising. And then there is the sharp decline of bookstores in general.
ReplyDeleteHowever The Christian Science Monitor is an excellent source of news.
I guess the internet finally did them in.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia Engel, the actress who recently died, grew up here in Bethesda, went to WJ, and was a life-long Christian Scientist. BTW, that WAS her actual voice.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Christian Scientist an oxymoron?
ReplyDelete