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.