Oxford’s oldest church sanctuary was rededicated Sunday following a six-month renovation project, most of which was underwritten by an anonymous donor.
‘Today, we’ve come to rededicate this space, this sanctuary to the glory and worship of God,? said Rev. Karen Moeschberger, of Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ.
Sounds of joyful song and prayer flooded the 127-year-old building and poured onto Denison and Hovey streets through the open stained glass windows.
For the first time in months, the historic church’s bell could be heard throughout the village proudly ringing once more.
Between January and June, the church’s sanctuary (including the entry way off Hovey St.) was thoroughly cleaned, re-plastered and repainted. All the brass work on the doors was refinished, the church bell was repaired, the wainscoting repainted and the original electric lights lowered.
‘We decided it was time to tidy up and clean up,? Moeschberger told this reporter. ‘The church had not been painted or re-plastered in a very long time. It was beginning to show wear and tear, cracks in the plaster, some water damage.?
Moeschberger said the goal was to have the sanctuary be as ‘warm and inviting? as the people who fill it on Sundays.
All of the re-plastering work, the bulk of the project, was made possible by the generosity of a truly anonymous donor.
‘Even I don’t know who it is or the total cost,? Moeschberger told the congregation.
Master plasterer Frank Giorgi, of Windsor, Ontario, and his team did the work.
‘We love it,? Moeschberger told Giorgi. ‘You did such a wonderful job.?
Church members Barb Theurer, Mike Hartman, Janet Caporale, Mike McCatty, Lori Hanft, Doug Cocking, Ron Austin, Sue Molczyk, Bill Theurer, Bill Beltz and Margaret Monprode were singled out for their contributions to the project.
Moeschberger recited a brief history of the church, which began with the congregation’s founding in 1877 following a week-long revival at a Christian church on the corner of Pontiac and W. Burdick streets.
‘It’s a good thing for us to remember that churches don’t get started by themselves,? she said. ‘That someone takes an initiative and helps them along the way.?
For two years, the new congregation worshipped in a wooden shelter on the corner of Dennison and Hovey streets. The land was purchased for $200.
Construction of the church we see today was completed in 1879. ‘All of this was built, labor and materials, for $4,899,? Moeschberger said. ‘The records are very precise.?
It took 75 years to pay off the mortgage.
But Moeschberger reminded everyone that the real church is not the structure they worship in every week, it’s the families and individuals who make up Immanuel. Although it’s called His house, God doesn’t just live in the church, He lives inside each of us, she said.
Since medieval times, a church’s sanctuary has been ‘a place of refuge? and that’s exactly what Immanuel has been for Oxford since the late 19th century, Moeschberger told the congregation.
‘People have come here to worship God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They have come to find instruction in the Christian faith. To find comfort in their times of grief and sorrow. Blessings in their relationships. Welcome into Christ’s family through baptism. To sing praise to God and support one another in Christian love and fellowship. People have come here to ask questions and find companions on their spiritual journey.?
‘Today, we come not only to rededicate this building to God’s purpose, but to dedicate and rededicate our lives to God’s purpose and ministry,? Moeschberger said.