The Episcopal Church’s Washington National Cathedral proclaims itself as “A House of Prayer for All People” but the extent of that declaration may have found its limit. Earlier today the cathedral announced a ticketing system of paid $7 passes for several church services across the Advent season, including Christmas Eve. [Editor’s note: see update below]
Online denunciation was swift, with some Anglican twitterati leveling accusations of simony (the buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges) while others offered cheeky comments (“Will there be popcorn at the Offertory?” UK cleric Calvin Robinson quipped).
Humor aside, paid admission to a service of Holy Eucharist, rather than a performance, raises questions about the suitability of effectively charging to access the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As a graduate of a Free Methodist university, I also find myself reminded of the legacy of pew selling, the now-abolished practice in which powerful families purchased box pews regarding them as personal property. That practice largely concluded in Anglican churches by the 1870s.
Attendance at these worship services has customarily been exempt from fees, but the sixth-largest cathedral in the world has – for several years – charged tourists an admission of $18 per adult or $13 per child. These fees offset operating costs for the landmark facility that is still repairing $38 million in damages incurred in a 2011 earthquake. Cathedral performances including Handel’s Messiah are also ticketed, but without controversy.
Built in the shape of a cross, the gothic cathedral has room to seat about 4,000 worshippers, or about 57 percent of the average Sunday attendance for the entire Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The cathedral itself reported an average attendance of 423 persons in 2022, the most recent reporting year.
Attendance on major holidays, including Christmas Eve, is substantially higher than typical Sunday services and the cathedral website states that the reserved passes are due to capacity concerns. Christmas Day services remain free.
I’m still trying to figure out if this is intended to be real, or is a ‘New Coke‘ head-fake to increase attendance when the National Cathedral inevitably relents and makes Christmas Eve attendance free-of-charge. A tweet announcing the availability of reserved passes is less than 10 hours old, but has already stirred up substantial online roasting.
The Cathedral communications team has proven skilled at securing earned media attention, placing the church near the center of national conversations on race, same-sex weddings, and former President Donald Trump. I would assume, at a minimum, we’ll see some local news segments on this paid admission scheme and Washington Post or Religion News Service pieces.
Perhaps I’m overly cynical, but the Episcopal Diocese of Washington has lost nearly half of its attendance in the past decade (from 13,813 in 2013 to 6,963 in 2022), so it’s not as though there is a sudden surge in demand for space at these services. A lone main Sunday morning service is offered at 11:15 a.m. at the cathedral (there’s also an early 8 a.m. service in one of the side chapels). Average attendance at the cathedral calamitously dropped from 1,646 in 2011 to 423 (74 percent) in a decade. COVID-19 response at least partly contributed to that collapse in 2021, but the apparent failure to rebound in 2022 indicates attendance hasn’t returned quickly post-pandemic.
Regardless of what develops with National Cathedral worship service passes, we can expect a large number of Christian churches – Anglican included – to remind us that their services are freely open to all. Let’s pray that people avail themselves of that opportunity and hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully preached this season.
Update [11/28/2023]: The cathedral passes section has been retitled the “pay-what-you-wish” selection. “All worship services at the Cathedral are free. We welcome your support if you would like to help us cover the costs of managing ticketing and entry. Your generosity will help ensure that thousands of guests can secure a seat and worship together. Payment of the suggested $7 processing fee is optional.”
A Policy Update page has also appeared: “After hearing concerns from members of the community, we realize that a required processing fee for passes to some holiday services is a barrier to worship. That was never our intent, and we apologize.”
Comment by Grace Cangialosi on November 27, 2023 at 11:22 pm
I’m saddened by the prospect of having to pay to attend on Christmas Eve, but I am aware that the Cathedral is *not* part of the Diocese of Washington, that it depends almost entirely on donations for its income, and that it was originally chartered by Congress to be a House of Prayer for All People, but does not receive any government funds. You could just regard the $7 for the Christmas Eve service as the offering you would put in the plate at any other service.
Comment by Jeffrey Walton on November 28, 2023 at 4:45 pm
Grace, the Washington National Cathedral *is* part of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Yes, it was chartered by a the U.S. Congress in 1893, and is owned by the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, but it is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. See more on the Cathedral’s Mission and Vision page here: https://cathedral.org/about/mission-vision/
Comment by AG on November 27, 2023 at 11:33 pm
It’s not about the money. The Episcopal Church has plenty of money.
It’s about keeping people away.
It’s about editing out people whose socioeconomic status may offend the aesthetics of Washington’s fee-paying visitors.
Comment by Dan W on November 28, 2023 at 9:20 am
Does the National Cathedral “pass the plate?” I would think Christmas Eve offerings would be pretty generous. There are better ways for a church to fundraise at Christmas. Some non-profit groups charge a small admission fee to keep out the riff raff – you know, shepherds, carpenters etc.
Comment by Tim McGonagle on November 28, 2023 at 9:51 am
Matthew 21:13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Comment by MJ on November 28, 2023 at 7:29 pm
“required processing fee” Haha. Maybe as a nonprofit organization, they would get in trouble with the IRS if they called it a ticket or a charge for admission.
Comment by Thomas on November 29, 2023 at 10:19 am
Who cares anymore about the Washington National Cathedral? That cathedral mirrors the apostasy of the Episcopal Church, who is now pro-abortion and pro-genderless marriage. Their former dear, Gary Hall, was a self-described “non-theistic Christian”. You can google it. So this former cathedral is now a neopagan temple and mirrors the total apostasy of his post-Christian denomination.
Comment by David on November 29, 2023 at 2:54 pm
Many cathedrals in Europe as well as in NYC and DC now charge admission for sightseers. Tourists otherwise do not attend services or add anything to the plate. Charging to attend a service is less common, though elaborate musical presentations by professional musicians can be costly.
Comment by George on November 29, 2023 at 4:39 pm
For a lot of these folks, paying a few dollars to see pretty stained glass windows and hear some people sing is as close to attending church as they will come. My resentment comes from the use of the term “National “ when referring to a church in Washington,DC. I thought we did away with such in 1776. Today we fight wars for others and can’t even place a cross atop of a makeshift church building for fear of offending someone.
Comment by David on November 29, 2023 at 5:17 pm
The formal name of the place is the “Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington.” Its size and location made it an obvious choice for state funerals and services so “national” became associated with it. Official tax-supported state churches in the US persisted until 1833, the last being the descendant of the Puritan church in MA.
Comment by Dennis Crowley on November 30, 2023 at 1:18 pm
The Washington National Cathedral is located on Wisconsin Avenue, and the National Zoo is on Connecticut Avenue. I just checked the distance online between the locations. One mile. I believe that having the cathedral so close to the zoo constitutes cruelty to animals.
Comment by Diane on November 30, 2023 at 11:41 pm
They proved themselves to be serious listeners and in the great Protestant Christian tradition, protests for charging to attend led to reform. Isn’t that how Protestantism works? They did not dig in and refuse to budge, instead, confessed and did an about face. Sin, confession, repentance and redemption all wrapped up as a lesson. Our task is to forgive.
I’ve attended several Christmas Eve services at the Cathedral. My late mother was a native of Washington, DC. I’ve climbed the steps to watch the bell ringers and looked out over the city where generations of my maternal ancestors are buried. I’ve sat where the choir sits. And on Christmas Eve, I’ve been awed by the power of the Holy Spirit as people from all over the earth, diverse in race, gender, age, economic and marital status, sexual identity, ability, politics and whatever might divide us, have formed a long, patient line to take the cup and eat the bread. Thanks be to God for this holy place where we find common ground and grace.
Comment by Eugene F Knol on December 4, 2023 at 12:19 pm
My church, recently disaffiliated from the UMC, doesn’t pass an offering plate. Christians know giving is something personal between them and their God. Some churches see the offertory as an essential part of religious practice. If the Gospel is ‘there’, Christians respond in many ways and one of those ways is a giving heart.
Comment by William K. on December 4, 2023 at 6:20 pm
“Perhaps I’m overly cynical, but the Episcopal Diocese of Washington has lost nearly half of its attendance in the past decade (from 13,813 in 2013 to 6,963 in 2022), so it’s not as though there is a sudden surge in demand for space at these services.”
I’m betting that rapidly declining attendance makes them increasingly desperate for revenue to cover the costs of repairs, maintenance, and staff. And I would also bet most of the complaining is from freeloaders shocked they might have to pay something – anything – for that one time a year they show up when they used to get in for free.
It’s not like $7 is a vast sum. A cheap fast food meal costs as much.
Comment by Paul Prose on December 4, 2023 at 7:45 pm
It sounds like the Episcopal Church hasn’t fully accepted the Reformation. What will they be selling next? Indulgences?
Comment by Jeff the Baptist on December 5, 2023 at 10:24 am
My church (Baptist) has had to offer tickets for some large events in the past. I say offer because the tickets were free, but were used to regulate attendance at the event so we stayed under maximum occupancy. If we do sell out, we can open up overflow rooms in advance and offer tickets to those rather than scrambling to find space.
That said, people act differently when money is involved. You won’t have a family grabbing large numbers of tickets “just in case” if you charge a small nominal fee. But we don’t do that for services (but sometimes for other events like comedy shows etc).
Comment by George on December 5, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Well if it’s the NATIONAL Cathedral, just call it a national tax. Very fitting for Washington.