A year of rebuilding for Sharon Church
Left: A dark traffic signal on August 28, 2024, resulted in a multiple-vehicle accident and a truck hitting Sharon Church. Mirror file photo/courtesy of Micah Fox. Right: Sharon Church has been steadily carrying out repairs for the last year and is almost completely back to its pre-accident state. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
by Sara Swanson
On August 28, 2024, a power outage from a thunderstorm caused a dark traffic signal at the corner of Pleasant Lake Road and M-52, which led to an accident resulting in a semi-truck hitting the front of Sharon Global Methodist Church and damaging it. Now, a year later, almost everything is back in place.
Pastor Tom Waller explained that the front entrance to the main building had to be completely redone, which meant new front doors, entry floor, brickwork, and a new ramp due to damage to the de-icing system built into the old ramp. Painting and trim work, along with some electrical work, finished up the repairs. There was quite a bit of dust and debris as well, which meant general cleaning, but, because the building is 150 years old, there was lead in the dust so soft, porous surfaces like the carpet and pew cushions needed to be replaced. Along with installing the new cushions and the front awning, a deep cleaning for the organ is one of the last remaining tasks.
Coval Construction aided the church in getting the building secured directly after the incident. Dexter Builder was the main contractor that handled the bulk of the work and coordinated the repairs. Other than delays in getting some materials, one of the only challenges was matching new brick to the antique brick. Pastor Tom stated, “Overall, I believe that the work went well in this area. The outside brick color is a bit off, but that is expected with blending bricks on a job like this.”
Things could have been much worse. The church has a large fellowship hall that they were able to meet in while the work was being carried out. The stained glass above the main entrance did not break or crack from the impact. Everything was covered by insurance. Richard Schaffer, office manager for Sharon Church, explained that another silver lining was that while the organ was being cleaned—both the pipes and the electronics—they took the opportunity to have it assessed and are now in the process of updating the internal components while still using the original pipes.
The congregation was able to return to the main building on Easter Sunday, April 20, but they are waiting for the completion of the organ to celebrate. That will happen most likely this fall.
Pastor Tom stated to the community, “Thank you for your prayers and support during this time. We are thankful to be part of a community that seeks to show and share what love can do. We look forward to continuing to Come and Follow Jesus as we Partner with God to Serve the community together with you. Know that we are here to walk this journey of life and faith with you, that all may know the love of Christ.”
The community will get a chance to see the repairs themselves as Sharon Church is planning a big celebration next year when the main church building turns 150 and everyone will be invited!
The front of the semi-truck visible from inside of the church. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Undamaged stained glass. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Damaged brickwork. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Repaired brickwork. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Still waiting on carpet and pew cushions. The organ is being cleaned and updated. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
Work on the entry. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
New double doors installed. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
View of the new doors from the inside. Photo courtesy of Pastor Tom Waller, Sharon Church.
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