At Uptown, Sundays to Get a Dose Of Divinity

McLean Bible Will Screen Services for D.C. Congregants

Starting in January, Uptown theater, the art deco movie landmark in Cleveland Park that has hosted such blockbusters as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Star Wars," will reach a bit higher into the heavens.

McLean Bible Church said yesterday that it will take over the theater's giant screen on Sunday mornings for worship services, as part of the megachurch's ambitious plan to expand across the Washington area. The church plans to beam its Sunday services from its McLean campus, where 13,000 people worship on average, onto the Uptown's screen for D.C. congregants who want to pray closer to home.

The Uptown, whose formal name is the AMC Loews Uptown 1, has been a centerpiece of Cleveland Park since opening in the 1930s. Its curved screen -- 40 feet high and 70 feet long -- and old-style balcony seating attract movie buffs from across the area.

Andy DiOrio, a spokesman for AMC Theatres, said the church services will not affect the theater's movie schedule.

McLean Bible's move to the Uptown is the church's first foray into the District and a linchpin of its plan to create a "spiritual beltway" around the Washington area by opening nine satellite locations.

The project's aim, senior pastor Lon Solomon told his congregation this year, is to "keep expanding our impact for the Lord Jesus . . . until we have touched this entire town for Christ."

"We do things based on vision, and we want to reach the city. That's what this is about," said Mike Hurt, McLean Bible's director of community campus development.

In January, it started offering live services at the Rosslyn Spectrum aimed at young adults. It plans sites in Loudoun, Prince George's, Montgomery and Prince William counties.

Offering services at movie theaters is a growing trend among churches: Worshipers like the cushy seating; pastors like projecting hymn lyrics, Bible verses and video clips onto the large screen; and church bands appreciate the high-tech sound systems. Twenty churches in the Washington area rent theaters for services, according to National CineMedia, which coordinates the rentals. Services are held at theaters in Union Station in the District and in Reston, Arlington, Silver Spring and Gaithersburg.

Neighbors haven't always greeted McLean Bible with open arms. Before moving to its campus on Route 7, the church jousted with residents near its campus on Balls Hill Road. They accused the church of doing little to resolve problems from traffic in the neighborhood due to Sunday morning services.

The church's support of campaigns to persuade Jews to convert to Christianity also has caused controversy.

Some Cleveland Park residents said yesterday that the church's Sunday services could worsen the dismal parking situation in the area.

"I just hope that the city puts parking people on duty on Sunday mornings in the neighborhood, which they're certainly not accustomed to doing around here," said neighborhood activist Claire Bloch.

But residents also said they welcome the church's arrival if it will help ensure Uptown's survival. The theater has been on the brink of closing several times in recent years as it competes against the growing number of megaplexes.

"If there is a financial boost that helps the Uptown to stay alive, then that is a really great thing," said Bill Adler, who runs the neighborhood listserv. "I cannot imagine Cleveland Park, or Washington, D.C., without the Uptown."