Church ordered to dump traditional Christmas tree

Sun Herald ^ | Dec. 10, 2003 | MICHAEL D. WAMBLE

[yonif]

HAMPTON, Va. - (KRT) - Freshly cut trees have been a part of Christmas celebrations at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hampton for decades.

But this year, the 20-foot tall tree will have to be removed from the church's sanctuary, because it violates a ban against using fresh cut trees in areas without sprinklers.

The tree isn't up merely for decoration, said the Rev. L. Douglas Stowe, senior pastor of Gloria Dei. It is part of the church's religious heritage and a tool, Stowe said, to teach children about Jesus.

``We're going to have to take our Chrismon tree down,'' Stowe told two classes of preschoolers during a Christmas program Tuesday. ``And that's a big deal.''

Within the Lutheran faith, trees decorated with handmade religious monogram ornaments that depict the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, like the one at Gloria Dei, are called Chrismon trees. Chrismons started in 1957 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville. The word ``Chrismon'' is a blending of Christ and monograms.

Over the last 46 years, Chrismon trees have become a part of the Christmas season for Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists and other Christians across the nation.

But this year, Stowe has watched some ``struggle about how codes are enforced'' in Virginia.

Last Wednesday, the Virginia fire marshal ended a statewide cut Christmas tree ban that took effect in October following complaints from apartment and condo residents who would've been banned from displaying fresh-cut Christmas trees.

But the violation at Gloria Dei falls under a different section of the fire code that was established in 1975 said Hampton Fire Chief Robert Green.

``The code is not the same,'' Green said. ``The code we are referring to has to do with public assembly.'' Along with churches, the code requires sprinklers to be installed near natural cut trees in banquet halls, funeral parlors, libraries and most public places.

Yet so far this year, Green said, Hampton has cited only two churches for violations. Green would not name the other church cited.

Green did credit the outcry against the apartment tree ban with raising awareness among inspectors to find other violations. Green said his department first learned about the cut tree this year from a fire official whose daughter attends Gloria Dei Lutheran School.

Stowe said the church received a notice last Thursday that they had 48 hours to remove the Chrismon tree from the sanctuary. Prior to the notice, Stowe said, the church wasn't aware that it was violating a fire code.

Last Friday, Stowe said, their 48 hours were extended to 30 days.

Later, that number dropped to 10 days, a timetable Gloria Dei received in writing on Tuesday morning, right before the preschool Christmas program.

The difference between 30 days to 10 days is significant because it would have allowed the Chrismon tree at Gloria Dei to be displayed through the Christmas season. Though Stowe said he understands fire officials are only doing their jobs, ``There have been some mixed signals here.''

The length in which Gloria Dei needed to be in compliance ``was my discretion,'' Green said. ``You have to use what you would consider reasonable.''

Green said the department based its decision on the code with ``no bearing on what the tree was symbolic of.'' But for ministers at Gloria Dei, the fact that it is alive adds to its religious symbolism.

``If you look at Orthodox Jewish tradition, where many of us as Christians acknowledge our religious roots come from, you see that nothing artificial is used,'' said Rev. Edmund Freeborn III, a Presbyterian minister at Gloria Dei. ``You never find silk flowers in a synagogue. Now most Christians might not follow that with trees. But we do.''

In fact, churches are instructed to ``use the freshest flowers possible'' to decorate the sanctuary since the fading of flowers and plants is a reminder of one's human frailty in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's ``Altar Guide and Sacristy Handbook.''

The handbook also states that in reference to Christmas decorations, ``If there is sufficient room, a Christmas tree (never artificial) may be set up.''

Yet, Chrismon trees at other Lutheran churches in Hampton are and have mainly been artificial.

At Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School, the Chrismon tree will be decorated this Saturday as part of the church's hanging of the greens. While the church always tries to use fresh flowers, the Rev. Paul Napier, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran, said the church's tree is artificial.

The tree at St. Paul's Lutheran Church has been artificial for years, ``because we have people here with allergies,'' said its pastor, the Rev. Christine Farrow.

St. Paul's also has, Farrow said, ``a retired fire marshal in the congregation.''

[gdu2020]

It's like most churchs have 20-30 foot ceiling where a home has 8 foot ceilings... Think about it....

[patriot_wes]

"The tree isn't up merely for decoration, said the Rev. L. Douglas Stowe, senior pastor of Gloria Dei. It is part of the church's religious heritage and a tool, Stowe said, to teach children about Jesus"

to think the Messaiah had to get entangled in pagen tree cutting rituals and that it has anything to do with Christianity....weird

[beezdotcom]

I don't actually seeing that as being worse - it means government is actually getting down to where it belongs - the local level.

Oh, you're exactly right - THAT'S what makes it worse. It's the LOCAL guys you're SUPPOSED to be able to reason with...if you've ever been to this church, you'll realize it would be next to impossible for Moses' burning bush to ignite anything, much less a fresh, living tree.

[ThinkLikeWaterAndReeds]

Thinking about it. If a tree is rendered fireproof, what difference does size make?

[Map Kernow]

I'm not aware of regulations anywhere which would forbid you,in your own single occupancy dwelling, from having a Christmas tree. See, the fire code just isn't that intrusive.

Gee, feller, din' you read the doggone article?

Last Wednesday, the Virginia fire marshal ended a statewide cut Christmas tree ban that took effect in October following complaints from apartment and condo residents who would've been banned from displaying fresh-cut Christmas trees.

Why wouldn't they want a "single occupany residence" ban? Don't them things burn, too?

I'd have a tree this year myself, but we are installing porcelain tile in the house the week of Chrismas. A Christmas tree would just get in the way.

Get in the way? Hell, it could jes' burn you up, isn't that the point, guy?

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[B4Ranch]

Christmas Tree Formula

This formula tells how to make your Christmas tree green, fireproof, and last a really long time.

Select a nice Christmas tree and wait until you bring it home before cutting the base. You'll want to prepare this formula and have it ready before you touch a saw:

2oz Regular Chlorox

8oz Karo Syrup (clear) - the sugar feeds the tree

2 pinches of Epsom Salts - magnesium sulphates make the needles green

5 quarts of water

Mix all of the above and store in a cool place. It is better to err on the side of being too diluted. Osmosis happens from weak to strong, and if the mixture is too strong, it will actually drain your tree instead of feeding it.

You'll want to cut at least a half inch off the bottom, if not an inch, to get to fresh wood.

Then, using a drill bit, drill a hold about a 1/4" wide about a 1/2" deep in the center of the stump toward the top of the tree. This helps the tree draw from the magic solution we're about to make.

Immediately after putting the tree in the stand and making sure it's balanced, add the above liquid.

Keep an eye on the water level in your Christmas Tree stand. Don't let it go dry (otherwise you have to cut more of the bottom off and start again; even then it may be too late).

The limbs should descend back to natural levels, the needles will remain green, and the tree itself is far less likely to catch fire.

---

This page last updated Sunday, 12-Dec-1999 14:32:28 EST

Be sure to allow a space at the base of the tree for the liquid to be absorbed.

[Jonx6]

"They ought to tell the fire department to F-off."

That's right. Those bastards.

"Every church I have ever been a member of has one or more real Christmas trees and none of them have ever had sprinklers."

Oh, then it's ok. The code says that if any portion of the code is violated by anyone then the whole thing is void.

"You can't buy an artificial tree tall enounh as they just dont make them."

Yes they do.

"Just more government bureaucrats sticking their nose into religion under a safety excuse."

You sir, are ignorant.

[Diverdogz]

Apartment/Condos are MULTI-FAMILY buildings subject to regulation. The regulations make good sense to all but the obtuse.

Little House on the Prairie, single-family dwelling, isn't regulated because for one, its overly obtrusive and two, its Pa's responsibility to keep Ma, Laura, Mary and Carrie safe.

But in an apartment building, you may have a neighbor like Cosmos Cramer who lets his Christmas/Festivus tree get dry causing an unreasonable danger to the OTHERS in the building.

The fire marshall doesn't have the time or the desire to go inspect apartments and condos. But the regulation still serves a purpose: Your live tree in your apartment catches fire and damages the whole apartment building - you are criminally as well as civilly liable because you have violated the state fire code. Forget about any insurance coverage - your policy would be null and void.

[Jonx6]

"Dang...they won't even let us have real CANDLES in our (Catholic) churches anymore."

Normally there is a religious service exception in the code that allows for candles in churches. There is in our code, but there are different codes and cities also sometimes amend the codes when they adopted it.

The Fire Marshell has to follow the code as adopted but some are willing to stick thier neck out and make exceptions. If not, you just have to go to his bosses (mayor, city counsel, city manager, whoever)and get the local code changed.

[pctech]

Agreed, a sprinkler system just makes good sense. Most churches that I remember being in all had sprinklers.

[hellinahandcart]

You're wrong on both counts.

There was a sprinkler system at the WTC, but the planes tearing thru it rendered it useless. As a result there was plenty of water in the stairwells, but not at the fire.

There was also an evacuation plan in place after the 1993 bombing. It just didn't plan for the loss of the stairs.

[StayAt HomeMother]

...they won't even let us have real CANDLES in our (Catholic) churches anymore. Only those stupid-looking push-button things.

Candles are next. Yesterday the Northern Virginia Journal reported:

"The cut Christmas tree ban is puzzling in light of the latest statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association, which show that cooking caused 96,200 residential fires and 331 deaths in 1999. Candle fires hit a 20-year peak that year, causing 15,040 fires and 102 deaths nationwide. In comparison, an NFPA spokesperson told The Journal, Christmas trees (both real and artificial) set off 370 home fires, resulting in five deaths in the U.S. during the same period. So safetywise, it makes a lot more sense to ban candlelit dinners. "

[johnb838]

Add to the turpentine the fact that most churches have numerous open flames going during services, and you have a potentially very combustible situation.

My church is grandfathered from a lot of fire codes. I'm not sure that's a good thing, really.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Perhaps they feel it's more important to spend their limited funds caring for the sick, elderly, and disabled, than on retrofitting their building with an expensive government-prescribed sprinkler system. Perhaps they think it's better to minimize risk of injury/death from fire by promoting sober behavior, responsibility, and careful planning (e.g. don't put the flammable tree next to an exit).

Who is the government to tell this church that its values are invalid, and must be overriden by the values of building code bureaucrats? Who is the government to decide that building codes need to be identical for all places of "public assembly", whether a church or a rowdy bar where everybody is drunk nearly all the time they're there?

End the nanny state!!! The very most the government can reasonably require is that public assembly buildings which do not conform to fire codes put a small sign at each entrance, so free citizens can decide for themselves if they want to assemble there.

[Map Kernow]

Apartment/Condos are MULTI-FAMILY buildings subject to regulation. The regulations make good sense to all but the obtuse.

Little House on the Prairie, single-family dwelling, isn't regulated because for one, its overly obtrusive and two, its Pa's responsibility to keep Ma, Laura, Mary and Carrie safe.

But in an apartment building, you may have a neighbor like Cosmos Cramer who lets his Christmas/Festivus tree get dry causing an unreasonable danger to the OTHERS in the building.

Oh, yeah, I see the distinction now, buddy. All them single occupancy joints are out on the prairie, miles from nowhere. That's why we din' have no fire spreadin' here in California from house t' house two months back. Wouldn't be no way them fellers in Virginia would think it "reasonable"-like to extend the ban to single occupancy thangs. Be real unpopular too, sounds like, since they already done rescinded that there "reasonable" ban on condos and apts, ain't that so?

The fire marshall doesn't have the time or the desire to go inspect apartments and condos. But the regulation still serves a purpose:

Well, now looky here, buddy: it sure look like he don't have time to inspect every dang Jesus joint neither, hunh?

Yet so far this year, Green said, Hampton has cited only two churches for violations. Green would not name the other church cited.

But this ain't gubmint overreaching or anti-religious stuff or nuthin', I plumb agree with chuh, agnostic buddy.

[CindyDawg]

Ah, your math is making me very happy :')

[Jonx6]

"Who is the government to tell this church that its values are invalid, and must be overriden by the values of building code bureaucrats?"

In what way does the fire code tell a church that "its values are invalid"? That is a ridiculous statement.

"Who is the government to decide that building codes need to be identical for all places of "public assembly", whether a church or a rowdy bar where everybody is drunk nearly all the time they're there?"

It isn't the same for every type of public assembly. There are different types based on use and size.

BTW, these are not unconstitutional edicts handed down by Hillary.
Theses are codes adopted by local communities who wanted them. These communities are well within their right to adopt these codes and they don't need your permission to do so.

[Alissa]

My daughter went to this very same pre-school 20 years ago.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Obviously the church didn't want this regulation imposed on them, or they'd be following it without threats from the government. And nobody is forcing anyone to go to this church -- it's not like it's the county courthouse or administration building. The tendency of government units to use expansive definitions of "community" to justify imposing things on people who don't want them is dangerous. I don't want to be part of Hillary's "village", whether it's a town, county, state, nation, or the whole world.