Churchgoing tide has abated, ministers say

AIKEN - The anxiety and grief that packed the pews of the Rev. Eddie Leopard's church in the immediate aftermath of 9-11 may have subsided, but some say a feeling of vulnerability continues to nag at the public psyche.

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On this two-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, fewer special services are planned in Aiken. Most people who turned to prayer to assuage their fears have gone on with their lives and daily routines.

"I think that fear and anxiety may still be here, but I think a lot of people have gotten comfortable again, and maybe a little complacent," said the Rev. Leopard, the pastor of Millbrook Baptist Church in Aiken, who will lead a prayer at a memorial service at the Aiken Department of Public Safety this morning. "At first, people were thinking, 'Hey, we're vulnerable here."'

The passage of time - and no new terrorist attacks - may have calmed frayed nerves, but Americans are saddled with a new set of worries, said Tom Cafferty, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina and an expert in social psychology.

"The emotional toll has subsided, but the cognitive, rational reaction hasn't subsided. If anything, it's gotten worse," Mr. Cafferty said. "And that's where the real impact of 9-11 is. You can't recapture that sense of invulnerability you had before."

Terrorism alerts, tightened travel security, concrete barriers around public buildings - the new look of today's world adds to what Mr. Cafferty and fellow psychologists call "daily hassles" of American life.

"And daily hassles aren't good for your health," he said. "I don't see much of change unless there's some kind of dramatic change in the world scene, and I don't see that happening in any way in the near future."

Many turned to their faith for comfort in the days and weeks after the attacks, but the overflow crowds have since subsided.

"People called me the day of the attack and wanted to have access to the church so they could go and pray," said Sam Marcengill, an associate pastor at St. John's Methodist Church in Aiken who was pastor of O'Neal United Methodist Church in Newberry two years ago. "They felt very insecure. But I think as time went on, some of that fear was relieved as people became closer to each other and the church."

Reach Stephen Gurr at (803) 648-1395.

--From the Thursday, September 11, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle