Mapletown United Methodist Church rises from ashes
news@greenecountymessenger.com
It wasn无毛视频檛 the kind of fire show folks look forward to on the Fourth of July.
Just after 5 a.m. on July 4, 2020, an electrical fire began inside the Mapletown United Methodist Church parsonage, in Greensboro. The fire spread to the church, which had graced the grounds since 1923.
The steeple fell by 5:50 a.m.
无毛视频淭he devastation, the disappointment, the sadness. It took out our church and our parsonage both,无毛视频� said trustee Kristafer Adkins, who has been a member of Mapletown UMC for six years. 无毛视频淭he present-day Mapletown Church began in 1883. They无毛视频檝e got (history) going clear back to when the circuit preachers were running around here in the 1700s.无毛视频�
Losing Mapletown UMC was not only a loss of worship space, but a loss of local history, as well.
无毛视频淚 vividly remember that phone call,无毛视频� said Pastor Lanfer Simpson, who has led the congregation since 2016. 无毛视频淭he lady across the street said, 无毛视频楾he church is on fire.无毛视频� The week before that, I had a meeting with some of the folks outside the church. I said, 无毛视频榃hat if you didn无毛视频檛 have a building? What defines a church?'无毛视频�
Turns out it无毛视频檚 the people that define a church, and Mapletown无毛视频檚 congregation is resilient.
Within two weeks, Simpson had partnered with the Greensboro-Monongahela Volunteer Fire Department, which offered space to the church for Sunday services (the church returned to in-person worship on Father无毛视频檚 Day, following three months of virtual services due to COVID-19). The VFD had purchased the former Holy Family Catholic Church, which became Mapletown无毛视频檚 home base.
无毛视频淚 can无毛视频檛 say enough about the fire department. They met that need. We partnered with them to continue to do the ministry. That partnership has been amazing,无毛视频� Simpson said. 无毛视频淭hey have bingo on Thursday. On Thursday nights, when we would have Bible study, we无毛视频檇 do it in someone无毛视频檚 garage. We无毛视频檝e adapted, we无毛视频檝e overcome.无毛视频�
And now, it无毛视频檚 time to rebuild.
The church has been working with a local contractor to design a new, single-story brick building with modern amenities 无毛视频� including a better sound system 无毛视频� that will amplify Mapletown UMC无毛视频檚 mission. The project is being funded through insurance and donations, Adkins said.
无毛视频淲e haven无毛视频檛 truly had to fundraise as much as we originally thought we were going to have to,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e had a couple chicken roast fundraisers. We无毛视频檝e had a lot of donations come in from the community, from other churches.无毛视频�
Simpson said the county, congregation and community have been wonderful in meeting the church无毛视频檚 needs and making this rebuild possible.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a lot of people that have sacrificed resources, sacrificed time. When you want something done, you just mention it and 无毛视频� it gets done,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 am really blessed to be a pastor of a congregation that is eager to do God无毛视频檚 work.无毛视频�
He无毛视频檚 also eager for the new church to stand tall and proud on land that has for centuries born witness to great sermons and a wonderful faith community.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 also excited about just the newness,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淗aving a place that is defined as Mapletown United Methodist Church is something you can be proud of. We无毛视频檙e also making sure that as we pass that torch to that next generation, they have input. I think that无毛视频檚 the big thing, the limitless opportunity for new kinds of ministry.无毛视频�
Last week, Mapletown United Methodist Church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School program for parishioners and non-parishioners alike. This year无毛视频檚 theme was, appropriately, Building the Faith.
无毛视频淲e studied about building King Solomon无毛视频檚 Temple, Moses无毛视频� tabernacle, and we talked about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem,无毛视频� said Amanda Adkins, who served as a VBS volunteer. 无毛视频淭he kids had construction-themed snacks. We made stepping stones 无毛视频� so that the kids无毛视频� stepping stones can be part of the new building.无毛视频�
The weeklong program culminated in the groundbreaking for the new church building, led by the next generation of Mapletown United Methodist Church and the Greensboro-Mapletown community.
无毛视频淚 think it does a lot of symbolizing,无毛视频� said Simpson. 无毛视频淔irst off, it symbolizes you无毛视频檙e never too young to be called to do God无毛视频檚 work. It symbolizes a transition from generation to generation. We are building upon the foundation of the past to help Christ grow into the future. I无毛视频檓 excited of just the timing of everything working out. Less than two weeks ago, we weren无毛视频檛 sure when we were going to be able to break ground.无毛视频�
Kristafer Adkins said getting the project off the ground was a struggle. Construction was delayed, and because of COVID, it was hard to gauge just how much the new building would cost. Within the last eight months, though, things started coming together.
Mapletown was able to salvage the church bell and a couple stained-glass windows, which will be incorporated into the new building, and that无毛视频檚 nearly as exciting as having the next generation break ground on the new space.
无毛视频淭hey are the future,无毛视频� Adkins said, of the VBS class. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e literally laying the groundwork for the future.无毛视频�
In a phone interview hours before the groundbreaking ceremony, Simpson said emotions were high.
无毛视频淚 think (the kids) don无毛视频檛 really realize what they无毛视频檙e getting into. They无毛视频檙e excited to play in the dirt,无毛视频� he laughed. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think they fully grasp the emotion and the spiritual implications of them being the first to dig in. There无毛视频檚 a lot of emotion running through their parents and grandparents. We无毛视频檙e hopeful that several years from now, as their faith is molded and developed, they look back on this occasion as something that really solidified them in the kingdom of God.无毛视频�