Reconcile Church in Bloomington is assessing what’s next after it lost everything when its roof collapsed this week.
The Christian nondenominational church with about 40 members has been around for about 15 years, but its red brick church on East Mulberry Street has existed since 1902.
The structure is now condemned after the roof collapsed late Wednesday, reducing at least part of the building to rubble.
No one was injured. Pastor Tim Allison said no one was in the church when the roof caved.
Allison said the roof was not in good shape and the church was making plans to address it, then recent heavy rains likely became too much to keep the structure intact.
“[I’ve been] thinking about this for the last 24-48 hours and having many discussions [on] how did this happen? It’s really through a lot of moving parts and a lot of unfortunate events got us to this place, but it was never the expectation that this would be the result,” Allison said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
Reconcile Church found a temporary site for this Sunday’s services at Be Strong Gym in Bloomington where Allison is a member, but for near and long term, it's unclear what's next.
“That’s going to be a journey for us, especially as a smaller congregation. We’re still hopeful, planning to be faithful in what we are doing, but that’s the hard road that is ahead of us,” Allison said.
Aelsa Woods joined Reconcile Church in 2022 after she found the congregation “super welcoming” for her and her family.
She said she's grieving the loss of the church building, but optimistic it will be resurrected sometime, somewhere.
“The space itself is meaningful, but that doesn’t mean the mission can’t continue in any location,” Woods said.
Allison said the church is working with its insurance company and has not yet determined how much of the damage will be covered, adding it’s not clear how much money the church may need to relocate.
He said many in the faith community in Bloomington-Normal have offered to help. He said for now, they need the public’s prayers as they develop a more detailed list of needs.
“We literally lost everything,” he said.
Allison said the church building has a lot of sentimental value to him. It’s where he got married and has seen many children become adults, he said.
Allison said with the historic structure now gone, he’s not concerned if the church’s new home will be a classic church structure or something more contemporary. He said the church needs to find any place that’s suitable for its ministry and its finances.
“The building may have collapsed but the mission is intact,” Allison said. “We don’t necessarily have a mindset of bigger and better. We have a mindset of faithful.”
Reconcile Church has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a new home and to replace equipment and supplies.
“There is a sign on the door of the church and it says ‘condemned’ on it. But our faith teaches us that’s only the first half the story. God has redeemed us and he will redeem this and that confidence will bring us through,” Woods said.
