.Best Church Name … In the Twilight Zone

Members of the Twin
Towers United Methodist Church must have begun
seriously regretting their church name sometime around September 11,
2001. In the late 1970s, two Methodist congregations merged into
one at this location. The combined group chose a new name because
of the building’s twin bell towers, visible at a distance from many
spots on the island (at least until a few years ago, when an oversize
parking garage went up across Oak Street). It was a beautiful name
for a distinctive old building. Then, September 11 changed
everything for the congregation. For most of us, “Twin
Towers” now conjures the distinctly chilling terrorist attacks in New
York City. So it’s hard to blame pedestrians walking past the beautiful
old church from doing a double-take at the name. However, that’s
not the spooky thing. If you stop and read the historical plaque on the
front lawn, you’ll probably do another double-take. Twin Towers, the
oldest church in Alameda, was founded on a date that now seems truly
portentous: “September 11, 1853.” Cue Rod Serling and the
creepy music.