Many Elders complain about the transformation of the Mashpee Baptist Church. It’s become some kind of surreal place of worship. The quaint little chapel of our childhood has be come a turned out very poor imitation of a southern cathedral in cramped quarters. The church comfortably holds about 100 people and has been decked out with huge flat screens that project hymns. There are hymnals in the back of the pews. The same hymnals we all used as children and adults.
Cluttered and tacky, the Mashpee Baptist Church with it’s beautiful stained glass windows, so proudly installed by families over the years, seems to clash with the loud drums and guitars that blast music of the new wave that is foreign. Gospel tunes are part of the transformation with poor efforts by the northerners really struggling with the singing style.
The church parishioners have changed dramatically with very few Natives attending the place they once worshiped with their parents regularly. Curtis never attended the church when he was a young man, and ironically he is now the pastor. Maybe he doesn’t know any better, but he has done a lot of damage to the church and what it represents to the tribe. Curtis has
Restored interior of 1684 Old Indian Church without tacky flat screens
decided to claim the Mashpee Baptist and his new converts and says he wants nothing to do with the Old Indian Church. Well that’s unusual and very sad. No minister, let alone a Wampanoag has abdicated their responsibility to the Old Indian Church. Not Rev. Negal, or Rev. Wilson or others who came after them. Curtis needs to understand that the past is always with us. Now, it’s the future we have to fear.
With that…his name was taken off the Meeting House sign.
