GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Goshen Methodist Church is back to hosting fish frys after it was wrecked by a tornado and flood in 2022.
The church has finally finished renovations and is welcoming people back to the pews.
“Not quite as full as it used to be, but it does seem like each month that passes we get a few more in attendance that have been absent, so I would say we’re back to about 80%,” said John Strauss, the church’s board director.
Strauss said the church hasn’t hosted a fish fry in four years, so bringing it back this year was critical.
“The fish fry is important because it’s causing us to have to work together … forcing us to get back to the roots of what our ministry is about,” Strauss said.
He said the church has been able to offer its usual services during the renovations.
“After the tornado, we had to meet in the fellowship hall. That was really only the usable room,” he said. “Then the flood came through, so then we had to work half of the church at a time.”
Strauss said a lack of togetherness had a big impact on the church. He said the church also took a financial hit.
“The tornado itself was roughly $750,000 in damage. Then, that Christmas we got the bitter cold winter that caused all our pipes to break and that was another $150,000-250,000,” Strauss said.
While the fish fry will bring in money for the church, Strauss said it's more about the people involved.
“Really trying to get the community to come back to the church and to start growing,” he said. “Our real goal is to grow our church.”
Pastor Elizabeth Reed said they finished renovating the sanctuary last year and updated the media system. Once that was complete, they turned their attention to the other half of the building.
“We had to renovate the entire space in essence,” Reed said.
They renovated their nursery room, prayer space, meeting spaces and classrooms.
“It’s a blessing because we see people who are coming back who had not been here and part of it was due to being in the smaller space,” she said. “We have families who come now and children who come and they're eager to be here because they see what we’re doing.”
Having their church back was an answered prayer. Now, the work to fill the pews starts. They hope fish frys will bring the community together and bring them back to the church.
“God provided us a facility, now it’s our job to fill it,” said Strauss.
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