Sunday service at Castle Chapel Church will be much more than the average weekend worship.
It will be a celebration – a celebration that members of this small country church feared wouldn’t be possible just a short time ago.
The congregation will be dedicating the church’s newly renovated sanctuary, and the fact that those renovations were possible have strengthened their faith in God and their love of a supportive community.
When church members discovered that the buildings foundation had been ravaged by termites, it seemed like it might be the end of the line for the building where they had worshipped since the 1940s. One contractor who examined the damage suggested razing the entire building.
Members were determined to save their beloved church if possible, but the costs were beyond their means. They prayed about it, and decided to try to raise the funds.
They were amazed by the response.
“After the article in the newspaper donations really started pouring in,” said church member Willard Ketchum, who did much of the work repairing the broken foundation.
Ketchum also sees his contribution as part of God’s plan. He had recently retired, which meant he was available to spend his days working at the church.
“People got so used to seeing me here that some of them thought I was a carpenter,” he said. “One person asked if I would do a job for them after I finished here.”
Castle Chapel will dedicate the new sanctuary Sunday at 11 a.m. The public is invited and encouraged to bring a covered dish for a meal after the service.
For more details contact Rev. Steve Carter at 662-590-5641.
