A local church celebrated its recovery Sunday, more than two years after being heavily damaged by arson.
In January 2023, Rose Park United Methodist Church’s Sanctuary was set ablaze by a local man in what he said was an attempt to get mental health help. He was sentenced in November 2023 to nearly five years in a state penitentiary, ordered to stay 200 feet away from all property owned by the church and have no contact with church members, staff or the pastor. The fire caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
On Sunday, the church congregation celebrated its recovery with a consecration service, dedicating original 140-year-old pieces that had survived the fire, including the pulpit, pickets of the altar rail, the altar table and flower stands. The congregation’s first service back in the sanctuary was Jan. 26, almost exactly two years to the day of the fire. Services were held in the church’s chapel while repairs were ongoing.
Three Notch’d District Superintendent Dr. Hyo Lee said he remembered seeing the church after the fire. He said it was a rainy day and he remembers the ashes, darkness and smell.
“Now, two years later, this is a beautiful day,” he said.
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson said like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, the church congregation has taken a horrible act of mercy and resurrected with a new lease on life.
As part of the celebration service, a time capsule was created. It will be placed under the pulpit and opened in 50 years.
