Worried Wall Street Workers Turn to Churches

As it often the case in tough times, Christians are reopening dialogue with the Lord. Because of the Wall Street upheaval in the past couple of weeks, times are most uncertain in New York’s Financial District, where church attendance is on the rise, particularly in the middle of the workday.

Pastors at Lower Manhattan churches are reporting that people in business attire are filling their sanctuaries in the middle of the day. Trinity Church Wall Street, an Episcopalian church that was damaged during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, is among them. The church pastor, the Rev. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, isn’t surprised. Thousands of people have already lost their jobs, particularly in the collapse of the bank Lehmann Brothers, and many more are on pins and needles, fearing bankruptcies, takeovers and mergers. The church has begun offering seminars such as “Coping with stress in an uncertain time” and “Navigating career transitions.”

Congress is considering a $700 billion bailout plan that would allow large investment banks to avoid bankruptcy by taking loans from the federal government. The Bush Administration, specifically Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, are pushing the measure, calling it absolutely necessary.

Source:

Reuters: With Wall Street in turmoil, some turn to religion

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