Roxbury church welcomes worshipers
after $3m rehab
Yawu Miller
“This resurrection is as miraculous as the resurrection of
our Lord, Jesus Christ,” declared the Rev. Hurmon Hamilton,
as he led several dozen parishioners out of the Eliot Street Congregational
Church.
The procession of congregants marched down Dale St., carrying candles
and singing hymns before turning onto Warren St. and arriving at
the Gothic arched doorway of the newly-renovated Roxbury Presbyterian
Church.
There they were met by the red and white robed choir singing Christmas
hymns welcoming the congregation back to their sanctuary for the
first time in 18 months.
It was Christmas Eve and the members of Roxbury Presbyterian Church
were celebrating their first service since the $3.3 million renovation
of their landmark Warren St. house of worship was completed.
Pastors from the Black Ministerial Alliance and Presbyterian Church
clergy joined Hamilton Saturday for the celebratory service that
tied in themes of physical and spiritual resurrection.
“May the transformation of this church be a reminder of the
transformation You have wrought within us,” prayed the Rev.
Wesley Roberts, from the new pulpit.
Behind Roberts, Hamilton and the other pastors gathered at the pulpit
were new steel columns replacing a structurally unsound wooden beam
that had left that wall in danger of collapse. Years of water damage
were no longer evident in the sanctuary, where a fresh coat of paint
brightened the worship service.
The renovations kicked off in 2003 with the replacement of the church’s
slate roof. That same year, an assessment concluded that the church
would need more than $1 million in repairs. The basement had suffered
water damage, the building’s heating system was not working
well and the electrical systems needed upgrading.
The congregation began fundraising and moved for what they thought
would be a six-month stay at the nearby Eliot Congregational Church.
As the construction costs rose, the 200-or-so congregants poured
their resources into the funding drive, contributing $200,000 of
their own funds. They also raised funds from foundations and wealthy
individuals including Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and presidential cousin
Jamie Bush.
The basement of the 1891 Gothic puddingstone church now has a concealed
sump pump to mitigate ongoing moisture problems and has new countertops
and cubby space. There is an as-yet unfinished room for youth programming.
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