GOSHEN, Ohio — From July 2022's tornado destroying much of their sanctuary to the December deep freeze bursting a pipe that flooded the building, Goshen Methodist has been through several tests of faith that will culminate Sunday with church leaders welcoming Parishioners to worship in their sanctuary for the first time in more than a year Sunday.
Board of Trustees Chair Dee Fischbach said the tornado blew through the church's windows and shifted the structural supports making the sanctuary unusable.
"It moved the front of the church six inches, so we had no place to meet," Fischbach said.
Despite the devestation, she said she knew they would bounce back.
"That day that the world stopped here, God took over and he never stopped for a minute," she said.
Patrick Hudepoh, owner of 360 Construction, was there from the beginning.
They initially helped the church board up and stayed though a December water main break that flooded much of the building through to completion of the new sanctuary.
Huepoh said they took the work slow and steady to ensure it would last.
"Hopefully this building doesn't need remodeled or repaired over the next 100 years and taking our time, doing things correctly, was the right move," he said.
Pastor Elizabeth Reed, or Pastor Liz as she's known around the building, said she has always felt God in the building, but there's something special about their newly remodeled sanctuary.
"I was sitting here this afternoon just in silence," Reed said. "You can sense the presence of god in here, as in the whole building, but there's a sweet spirit in here."
Reed said she hopes the new sanctuary attracts new faces for Sunday's 10:30 a.m. service to join the people who've become bonded through more than a year of stress.
The pastor said the first service in the sanctuary will include a dedication for the building.
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