"Setback For Church Looking For Manchester Location" (Hartford Courant)

By JESSE LEAVENWORTH
The Hartford Courant
April 11, 2009

MANCHESTER — - A Storrs-based church that has been seeking a satellite location in town for several years hit another roadblock this week.

St. Paul's Collegiate Church was to begin weekly services at a local movie theater on Monday, but will have to wait for formal approval from the town, the pastor said Thursday.

The Rev. Ben Dubow said a town zoning official told him Wednesday that he must get the planning and zoning commission's approval to use Parkade Cinemas and Entertainment for church services.

Members of the rapidly growing church had reached an agreement with the cineplex owner to rent one of six auditoriums for services each Monday at 8 p.m. Now, Dubow said, the unaffiliated evangelical church will have to wait at least two months to go through the town's approval process. A representative of the town planning department could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In the meantime, Dubow said, church members plan to meet Monday nights at Emmanuel Lutheran Church on Church Street in Manchester.