Dean Poling | The Valdosta Daily TimesPastor Richard Hart stands in the Trinity Presbyterian Church prayer garden and columbaria, which is a place to store cremated remains. 

VALDOSTA – As more people consider cremation as an alternative to burial, Trinity Presbyterian Church wants its congregation to feel at home with the choice.

The church will dedicate its new prayer garden with columbaria this weekend.

A columbaria is a vault with niches for containing the ashes of the dead, said Richard Hart, Trinity Presbyterian pastor.

“My hope, when we feel like people become more and more accepting of cremation, is we see more churches have their own columbaria,” Hart said.

Trinity decided to repurpose a space outside of the church’s fellowship hall as the columbaria.

Doors were installed. Outside, a brick wall was erected this summer to enclose the columbaria on the Bemiss Road side of the church. A fountain and benches have been installed in the prayer garden. 

Emblazoned with the cross, one part of the brick wall contains the columbaria with niches for 96 cremated remains; more can be added in the future if needed.

Inside the building, by the door to the prayer garden, is a cabinet columbaria with the image of an angel playing a horn and the scripture of I Corinthians 15:52. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Hart said the church discussed the placement of the prayer garden and columbaria. Some of the congregation was uncertain if neighboring the fellowship area was the appropriate site. Some believed the fun nature of fellowship may disrespect the dead; others wondered if the constant reminder of the dead would inhibit the free spirit of fellowship.

“Some were uncertain because of the frivolity and some to the reminder of death,” Hart said. “By placing it here, we are reminded that death is a part of life.”

The columbaria is only for congregation members and their families, the pastor said.

Hart said the columbaria is similar to the past role of the church where a cemetery was part of the church grounds. But a columbaria takes far less room.

And with the city announcing earlier this year that Sunset Hill Cemetery is nearly full, Hart said he can envision more Valdosta churches choosing to offer columbaria spaces to their congregations.

Trinity Presbyterian Church, corner of North Oak Street Extension and Bemiss Road, will dedicate its prayer garden and columbaria with a memorial service, 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24. The public is invited.