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Helping to save 'sacred' spaces in Kershaw county

The Camden Cultural District celebrated Day 4 at one local church to discuss how to preserve these historical buildings

CAMDEN, S.C. — The city of Camden is on celebrating its fourth day of the Cultural District Celebration by hosting a church restoration workshop 

"This trend of exiting the pews due to diminishing congregations and aging is now here in South Carolina, and it's here to stay and we are dedicated to finding a future for these historical places," says Joanna Rothell, Outreach for Preservation South Carolina

The non-profit organization works to find a way to keep the culture of these mostly small, rural churches alive. 

Rothell says recent projects have been successful, "Most recently we did the restoration of Trinity Church in Abbeville, and now it's complete and the center of the community and a tourist attraction and a place of worship." 

Now they are working to help churches in the Kershaw area. 

"Second Presbyterian is actually a church that has reached out for help, and how to keep the history of the church alive and their members are aging and they have a few left," Rothell added. 

Ernestyne Adams is the moderator of the church who says the congregation has dwindled to twelve members. 

RELATED: Camden hosting a week-long Cultural District celebration

"Many churches are dealing with the same kind of lack of congregational life, so this new movement is called new worshipping communities,  as I walked back here and saw a handful of white people in a black church for an event is eventful, and it's making a difference in a very quiet but important way," she adds. 

RELATED: Columbia has a free public trail with different art installations. Here's what you can see.

The city of Camden will continue the celebration all week long. 

Click here for the full schedule. 

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