Rebuilding the Structure

The loss sustained from the fire was so sudden, so complete and so unexpected that it left the congregation temporarily stunned. Fortunately, the Session and the congregation had the resiliency to recover quickly due in large part to the Disaster Recovery Plan that had been established three years prior.

Churches in the community came forward to offer accommodations for both church services and office space, Hanna Boy’s Center and Faith Lutheran among them. St. Andrew jumped at the chance. The Session met frequently in the first few weeks to organize and lay the groundwork for the challenges ahead.

It was decided that the church would be rebuilt on the same site. Committees were established to assess both the monetary losses and the new building needs. A satisfactory insurance settlement would go a long way in the recovery process and a separate committee was convened to handle this aspect of the project. After several false starts, a figure of $1,623,725.42 for both the building and its content was submitted to the insurance company and accepted without question. On February 22, 1990, less than one year after the fire, the entire process was complete and St. Andrew was on its way to a new home.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the site on Easter Sunday, 1991, just two years after the fire. Following the design of noted architect William Turnbull Jr., the construction process took approximately one year from start to finish. One highlight of the construction process was the installation of the cupola. The cupola had been constructed completely on the ground and its subsequent lifting and placement gave the congregation a lift of its own.

It should be noted that as a cost saving measure, the church agreed to do most of the exterior landscaping and planting themselves. Large Saturday work parties labored to install sprinkler systems, lay brick walkways, build retaining walls, construct the play yard, and create the courtyard and fountain parishioners see today as they enter the church.

The loose ends all began to fall together as Easter of 1992 approached. All of the intensive planning and hard work was drawing to a close. The first Sunday services in the new church were held on March of 1992, just three years and ten days after the fire. Since that time, the church has gone on to win numerous awards and accolades for its design and functionality. The old oak cross, rescued from the fire, can be seen just outside the Narthex.

Rebuilding the Church

There are lessons to be learned throughout life, some incidental, some major. In the case of St. Andrew, the fire worked to bring an already self-described “close-knit” church community closer together. Individuals and families, community members and tradespeople gave generously of their time, their talent, and their resources to help the church rebuild.

Seizing the challenge of rebuilding as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, as Rich Gantenbein described, has proven to be an exhilarating and long-term experience for St. Andrew as a whole. While the fire is no longer dwelt upon, it is a strong reminder of the potential in all of us to forever challenge ourselves.

As a congregation, let us always be alert to the possibilities before us and be prepared both spiritually and physically to promote God’s work in our world.

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