(May 21, 2026) The Recovery and Reuse Committee is wrestling with the difficult decision of how to make the best decision about the future of our beloved pipe-organ. Soon, church members will be asked to vote on the future of the organ.
Backround: You will recall that nearly three years ago, PCC began the extensive renovation of the pipe-organ that was the centerpiece of the PCC Sanctuary. The renovation was weeks from completion when the hurricanes interrupted the work and damaged the sanctuary.
Earlier this year, church members voted to demolish the sanctuary and replace it with a new worship center. We all know that even in the best of circumstances, it may be 2029 before we move into a new facility. So, what should we do with the organ?
Committee members have met with two organ specialists to understand the best options.
Those two experts along with Thomas Lewtak, the man who renovated the organ, have all told us:
-We could dismantle, store and someday reassemble the organ. But there are major hurdles to face with this option. One is the sheer cost of the endeavor. The best guess is it would cost in the neighborhood of a half-million dollars to disassemble, catalogue, store and reassemble the organ. And, even then, it is highly unlikely that the organ would be suitable for a smaller sanctuary, and certainly, our next sanctuary will be smaller than the legacy sanctuary.
-We could dismantle part of the organ and install it in a new sanctuary building a hybrid organ with some new and some legacy components. The experts tell us it is an emotion-driven idea that could be accomplished, but again, we would have to store what we save at a cost of thousands of dollars a month and then find a way to fit the hybrid model into a new design. At the same time, this idea would diminish the integrity of the existing organ which is built to be played as-is.
-We could attempt to sell the pipe-organ as it is, as a whole refurbished instrument. The experts agree that this is the best option for the instrument and the best option to keep the organ in use somewhere. The market for such large instruments is not great, but everyone seems optimistic that we have a good chance of finding a buyer somewhere. There are many churches nationwide downsizing, as we are.
This week, the Pasadena Community Church One-Board voted unamiously to bring this matter to a special called vote with the recommendation to offer the organ for sale. The Church Conference has not been scheduled yet, but it will be, most likely, within the next month. We will advertise and announce it widely in services, on this website and in Pasadena Essentials.
We thought you would enjoy seeing photos captured last week of the refurbished console and pipes. The console is covered to protect it.
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