LARGO, Md. - The weak economy is now threatening worship services in the district. Due to funding problems, the construction has stopped at Metropolitan Baptist Church's new location in Largo, Md. The problem is that the old church has already been sold.

For 140 years, Metropolitan Baptist has been a major church in Northwest D.C., but like other D.C. congregations, Evangel Temple and Jericho Baptist, its parishioners were joining the exodus to become "mega churches" in Prince George's County. That was the plan until the current economic crisis hit.

"When people are in a position where they must choose between buying groceries and making a contribution into the offering plate, nine times out of 10 the groceries win," said Metropolitan Baptist's Reverend Beecher Hicks. 

Hicks said the church was in the middle of refinancing to finish its new church when they were faced with sinking donations. "The bottom dropped out of the credit market, and so we're simply in a holding pattern right now...," he said. 

All work stopped on the new Largo church Oct. 20 and then Hicks sent a letter informing the congregation. Meanwhile, since they were planning to move, they'd already sold the present church and had to be out of it by February 2009. The scramble to find a place led the congregation to rent the auditorium of Old Armstrong High School at 1st and P Street.

Now, Hicks and his church face an uncertain future. "Unlike some, the only ones we can turn to for a bailout is our congregation...," Hicks said.

Hicks said at this point he has no idea when construction will be finished at the new church. He said now is the time to keep the faith and pray for an end to the credit crisis.