Mapletown United Methodist Church rises from ashes
news@greenecountymessenger.com
It wasn鈥檛 the kind of fire show folks look forward to on the Fourth of July.
Just after 5 a.m. on July 4, 2020, an electrical fire began inside the Mapletown United Methodist Church parsonage, in Greensboro. The fire spread to the church, which had graced the grounds since 1923.
The steeple fell by 5:50 a.m.
鈥淭he devastation, the disappointment, the sadness. It took out our church and our parsonage both,鈥� said trustee Kristafer Adkins, who has been a member of Mapletown UMC for six years. 鈥淭he present-day Mapletown Church began in 1883. They鈥檝e got (history) going clear back to when the circuit preachers were running around here in the 1700s.鈥�
Losing Mapletown UMC was not only a loss of worship space, but a loss of local history, as well.
鈥淚 vividly remember that phone call,鈥� said Pastor Lanfer Simpson, who has led the congregation since 2016. 鈥淭he lady across the street said, 鈥楾he church is on fire.鈥� The week before that, I had a meeting with some of the folks outside the church. I said, 鈥榃hat if you didn鈥檛 have a building? What defines a church?'鈥�
Turns out it鈥檚 the people that define a church, and Mapletown鈥檚 congregation is resilient.
Within two weeks, Simpson had partnered with the Greensboro-Monongahela Volunteer Fire Department, which offered space to the church for Sunday services (the church returned to in-person worship on Father鈥檚 Day, following three months of virtual services due to COVID-19). The VFD had purchased the former Holy Family Catholic Church, which became Mapletown鈥檚 home base.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about the fire department. They met that need. We partnered with them to continue to do the ministry. That partnership has been amazing,鈥� Simpson said. 鈥淭hey have bingo on Thursday. On Thursday nights, when we would have Bible study, we鈥檇 do it in someone鈥檚 garage. We鈥檝e adapted, we鈥檝e overcome.鈥�
And now, it鈥檚 time to rebuild.
The church has been working with a local contractor to design a new, single-story brick building with modern amenities 鈥� including a better sound system 鈥� that will amplify Mapletown UMC鈥檚 mission. The project is being funded through insurance and donations, Adkins said.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 truly had to fundraise as much as we originally thought we were going to have to,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a couple chicken roast fundraisers. We鈥檝e had a lot of donations come in from the community, from other churches.鈥�
Simpson said the county, congregation and community have been wonderful in meeting the church鈥檚 needs and making this rebuild possible.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of people that have sacrificed resources, sacrificed time. When you want something done, you just mention it and 鈥� it gets done,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am really blessed to be a pastor of a congregation that is eager to do God鈥檚 work.鈥�
He鈥檚 also eager for the new church to stand tall and proud on land that has for centuries born witness to great sermons and a wonderful faith community.
鈥淚鈥檓 also excited about just the newness,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving a place that is defined as Mapletown United Methodist Church is something you can be proud of. We鈥檙e also making sure that as we pass that torch to that next generation, they have input. I think that鈥檚 the big thing, the limitless opportunity for new kinds of ministry.鈥�
Last week, Mapletown United Methodist Church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School program for parishioners and non-parishioners alike. This year鈥檚 theme was, appropriately, Building the Faith.
鈥淲e studied about building King Solomon鈥檚 Temple, Moses鈥� tabernacle, and we talked about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem,鈥� said Amanda Adkins, who served as a VBS volunteer. 鈥淭he kids had construction-themed snacks. We made stepping stones 鈥� so that the kids鈥� stepping stones can be part of the new building.鈥�
The weeklong program culminated in the groundbreaking for the new church building, led by the next generation of Mapletown United Methodist Church and the Greensboro-Mapletown community.
鈥淚 think it does a lot of symbolizing,鈥� said Simpson. 鈥淔irst off, it symbolizes you鈥檙e never too young to be called to do God鈥檚 work. It symbolizes a transition from generation to generation. We are building upon the foundation of the past to help Christ grow into the future. I鈥檓 excited of just the timing of everything working out. Less than two weeks ago, we weren鈥檛 sure when we were going to be able to break ground.鈥�
Kristafer Adkins said getting the project off the ground was a struggle. Construction was delayed, and because of COVID, it was hard to gauge just how much the new building would cost. Within the last eight months, though, things started coming together.
Mapletown was able to salvage the church bell and a couple stained-glass windows, which will be incorporated into the new building, and that鈥檚 nearly as exciting as having the next generation break ground on the new space.
鈥淭hey are the future,鈥� Adkins said, of the VBS class. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e literally laying the groundwork for the future.鈥�
In a phone interview hours before the groundbreaking ceremony, Simpson said emotions were high.
鈥淚 think (the kids) don鈥檛 really realize what they鈥檙e getting into. They鈥檙e excited to play in the dirt,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they fully grasp the emotion and the spiritual implications of them being the first to dig in. There鈥檚 a lot of emotion running through their parents and grandparents. We鈥檙e hopeful that several years from now, as their faith is molded and developed, they look back on this occasion as something that really solidified them in the kingdom of God.鈥�