Two months after being displaced by a extensive vandalism, members of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in west Bloomington will return to their church on Sunday.
Senior pastor Timothy Mark Harris said while cleaning crews repaired the damage done in March, church services relocated to Second Presbyterian Church downtown. They immediately followed Second Presbyterian’s regular services.
“And thank God for pastor Trey Haddon and the Second Presbyterian Church family,” said Harris. “They’ve been very generous and hospitable.”
Much of the $300,00 damage done to the predominantly Black church, located at 801 W. Market St., was to items from when the current church building was built in 2004. Harris said this means the repairs will make the church look somewhat different, but "anything now is pretty much an upgrade."
One damaged item is much harder to replace. A pulpit that had been with the church for more than a century will be refurbished and brought to a museum, rather than the church. Harris said this is for the pulpit to remain part of their history.
Harris said Second Presbyterian was among the first of more than 60 churches that reached out to help after Harris shared news of the damage in a video posted to social media.
“We established a relationship when I first got here, so thankful to God for that, too,” said Harris about his relationship with Haddon. “But we just knew that that would be a great place and they offered it. They had 100% compliance and agreement with their current leadership and congregation.”
In addition to pastors from several other Bloomington churches, members of Second Presbyterian will join Mount Pisgah as they return to their church at 10 a.m. Sunday.
A Bloomington woman was charged in connection with the vandalism. Doris Pate, 47, faces burglary, criminal damage to property and other felony counts.
