About halfway through Sunday service at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, as worshipers passed around the collection plate, a chorus of screams pierced the air. Chunks of the ceiling in the 52-year-old church came crashing down on the crowd of about 200, striking about 14, who were later treated and released from nearby hospitals. A jagged piece of the ceiling, roughly 10 feet by 10 feet, dangled from exposed wires over the back pews as deacons struggled to guide panicking worshipers from the building. “My jaw just dropped,” the Rev. Antonio Logan said. “I thought, ‘This can’t be real.'”
Parts of this post are adapted from an article posted to the Associated Press by One News Now on July 7, 2010
Caring for old church facilities is an increasingly acute problem. As membership declines and budgets shrink, the beautiful edifices of American Christianity can feel like weights dragging down churches that are forced to spend money on maintenance and repairs instead of ministry, charity and other Gospel-derived imperatives.
A church can be an anchor for a whole neighborhood, and its loss can hurt beyond the borders of a single congregation, as a coalition of residents and preservationists in Charlotte, NC discovered when they tried to save the old Garr Memorial Church from the wrecking ball.
The building had stood for nearly 70 years, with its iconic rooftop “Jesus Saves” sign, a beacon that locals used as a landmark when giving directions. On a Wednesday in July, the old building came down after its new owners, the New Bethel Church of God in Christ, couldn’t justify refurbishing the building. “It’s regretful, but the economics, just the roof repair cost was just excessive,” said Bobby Drakeford, a real estate developer and consultant for New Bethel. New Bethel plans to develop the property, but for churches that try to stay in their old buildings, even necessary upkeep can become a burden.
It is important for churches to plan ahead for maintenance and repairs. I encourage every church to have two special accounts set up for unforeseen expenses. First, each church should have a minimum of three months of expenses in the bank. As communities and churches have been devastated in some of our southern states by tornadoes, hurricanes or even fire, it takes several months to get back to normal. Having an emergency/contingency fund is critical.
The second account that each church should have is an emergency repair and replacement account. A roof replacement, an air handling unit or similar needed repair can cost up to $25,000. I have worked with quite a few older churches that need to have brickwork pointed and other repairs to the century old buildings. Yet, no money has been set aside.
It is difficult for some pastors and other leaders to set aside money for these type repairs when that money could be used for ministry purposes. Though, what generations past have not realized, that by setting aside some funds each year while continuing to do ministry, will assure future generations will also be able to carry on the legacy of ministry with the burdensome financial responsibility of needed repairs.
Work as if Christ is coming back today. Plan as if He is not. Do not neglect what future generations will need from your generation in ministry and resources.
George Yates is a Church Health Strategist, coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.