Heavy rain and flooding this summer proved particularly devastating to the First Baptist Church of Bridgeville.
The church, on Bower Hill Road, had experienced flooding before, but on June 20 had about 2 feet of water on its ground floor, according to Deacon Ray Partee.
“That’s the worst it ever was,” he said, adding that flooding “was like a river.”
Earlier this year, members of the 115-year-old church raised enough funds to have a new roof installed, but with the flooding, the building is unusable and has forced the approximately 25 members to find another place to worship.
Mr. Partee said it “would take so much” to fix all of the damage and remediate all the mold that has begun to grow since the flood, so the church is looking for a new permanent home.
To repair the damage of the flooding would cost upward of a half-million dollars, Mr. Partee said, which would include fixing a retaining wall and remediating the flood damage.
In the meantime, First Baptist is not without a home.
Just after the flooding occurred in June, the Rev. Brian Snyder, pastor at Bower Hill Community Church, a Presbyterian Church in Mt. Lebanon, received a call from the Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that promotes Christian unity, asking if the church had room for First Baptist to conduct its services.
“They wondered if we had space,” Rev. Snyder said.
They did.
Rev. Snyder opened the chapel at Bower Hill Community Church to members of First Baptist for their Sunday services.
“We had space. We told them to make it their own,” Rev. Snyder said.
He added it’s “a joy” to have them in the building and is really fun to hear the music coming from their worship service every week.
First Baptist was able to salvage its musical instruments, as they were on the second floor in the sanctuary of the church when it flooded.
Theresa Child, a member of Bower Hill church and chairwoman of its Parish Life Committee, said having the congregation from First Baptist at Bower Hill “has been very rewarding.”
“We’ve been slowly building relationships,’’ Ms. Child said.
“I am inspired by the resilience they have shown following the flood and look forward to a long relationship with their congregation,” she said.
Amy Grella, director of Christian education and youth ministries at Bower Hill, said it has “been a joy” to build relationships with members of First Baptist.
“Looking at it from the outside, one may notice some differences, but when you get to know Deacon Ray and their wonderful congregation, our similarities far outweigh our differences,” Ms. Grella said. “They are a group equally passionate about sharing their gifts, particularly of music and dance, sharing their faith and being great neighbors,” she added.
Ms. Grella continued, “Anytime we can find like-minded individuals in our midst, collaborations happen, energy is created and the joy is contagious.”
“I believe they were God-sent,” Mr. Partee said about the hospitality he and the congregation at First Baptist have received at Bower Hill.
Diana Oden, a member of First Baptist all of her life, said of her church, “It’s a beautiful family. We come together when it’s needed.”
Ms. Oden said while he would prefer to keep activities at the old building, having services at Bower Hill Community Church is “just as good because of how they have taken us in.”
“They did it with the love of Christ in them,” Ms. Oden said. “Everyone I’ve come in contact with has been more than friendly,” she said. “I’m just praising and thanking God for them opening their doors,” she added.
Rev. Snyder has extended an open-ended invitation to First Baptist.
“We haven’t placed a time limit on it. They’re our bothers and sisters,” Rev. Snyder said.
He said the effort works because Bower Hill Community Church has an early service at 9:30 a.m., and First Baptist has a service at 11 a.m.
“Sometimes we don’t even know they’re there,” Rev. Synder laughed.
However, he said children from Bower Hill often make their way to First Baptist’s service because they hear the music coming from the chapel.
“It’s been good,” Rev. Snyder said.
Mr. Partee said the church is looking for a permanent space and has received some insurance money, which will help to fund a new church.
“We’re trying to get a capital campaign started so we can go and move forward,” Mr. Partee said.
He said the church has about $31,000 saved, which includes $10,000 left from the roof fund and $21,000 from the insurance company for flood damage.
Mr. Partee said the church is looking for property on which to build a new church and that the $31,000 would go toward the purchase of land.
First Baptist also is searching for a new pastor. The church’s former pastor left for a new church last year, and an interim pastor departed in August.
“I know God has something for us,” he said.
In some ways Mr. Partee said the flood was a blessing.
“I know God’s been telling us to move out of that building for years,” he said.
Mr. Partee said there have been quite a few accidents as people cross Bower Hill Road to get to the old church. He also added there was not enough parking there for large events like weddings and funerals and there was no classroom space.
However, Mr. Partee said a building is not everything.
“The church is the people in it. It’s not the building,” he said.
For information on how to help the First Baptist Church of Bridgeville monetarily, call the church at 412-221-4232 and leave a message, or call Mr. Partee at 412-628-6663.
Deana Carpenter, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.
First Published: December 13, 2018, 2:32 p.m.