White River Junction
For much of 2015, members debated whether to sell the church building, which was built in 1878 and is on the National Register of Historic Places, to developer Byron Hathorn, who owned the lot next door and wanted to raze the church to make way for an assisted living facility.
The potential sale, which in September 2015 won support by a slim majority — 34-30 — among church members, fell through in November, when church leaders learned that Vermont law requires a two-thirds vote to authorize the sale of a Methodist-owned church.
At the time, the church’s fortunes looked bleak. Those who wished to sell the building had brought in Hartford Health Officer Brett Mayfield and other state inspectors, who documented $250,000 worth of needed repairs, including for an uncertified elevator, exposed wires, a leaky propane stove, a severe mold problem in the adjoining parish house, and the presence of asbestos, a material commonly used for insulation until the 1970s, when it was determined to be carcinogenic.
Not only did the cash-strapped church lack the money to make the needed safety repairs, but hard feelings lingered, with some members refusing to talk to one another.
Things seem to have turned a corner.
“We are alive and healthy. We are breathing,” said Gail Wright, a major voice of opposition to a sale she saw as a threat to the legacy of previous generations of churchgoers who had entrusted stewardship of the church to future members.
That position placed her at odds with church members such as Tom Franklin, a trustee with the church who supported the deal, under which Hathorn would buy another property a few lots away and build a new church for the congregation.
From Franklin’s perspective, Hathorn’s offer provided an escape hatch from a set of building maintenance problems that seemed insurmountable for the dwindling and aging membership.
Hathorn is moving forward with a version of his project on his existing lot; Brooke Ciardelli, Hathorn’s project manager, said he hopes to have a positive relationship with his neighbors.
Once the possibility of the sale passed, churchgoers from both sides of the debate came together to tackle the various maintenance issues.
“We took a look at the list,” Wright said. “A lot of the things, when we got into them, weren’t as bad as the worst-case scenario.”
They upgraded the electrical system, replaced the stove and sealed the basement against water seepage. A group of church members showed up one week to scrub out the inch-thick layer of mold. One member anonymously donated $800 to have the asbestos removed.
Mayfield, the health officer, said on Friday that all the building’s safety violations have been addressed.
Looking forward, Franklin said, the church is looking for ways to cut down on costly heating bills.
“We’re in the process now of having an energy audit done,” he said.
Church members also have been working to heal the rifts that developed during the debate about whether to sell the building. The hard feelings haven’t subsided entirely, but members seem willing to focus on the future.
“People have a positive attitude about where the church is going,” Wright said. “And they’re working together.”
“People have really stepped forward,” Franklin agreed.
And in an indication that more churchgoers have found new value in a building they almost lost, church attendance is up, from “a couple dozen” to about 30 or 40 per week.
“Some people against the exchange came for a few weeks,” Franklin said. “But some have been pretty regular since then. It’s had some positive effects.”
Wright said flower sales and other fundraising efforts, including the church’s annual pledge drive, have all yielded more money than in previous years, and on Easter Sunday, the church unveiled a new lighted wooden cross over the altar.
“A lot of people stepped forward that, six months ago, I don’t know if they would have,” Wright said. “I would say we’re on a good path.”
Tragedies outside of the church have put the membership’s disagreements in perspective and helped the church focus on its mission. Trustee Linda Johnson said in an email on Friday that, in the wake of the June 12 Orlando, Fla., nightclub shooting, members of the church held a vigil to show support for the victims.
“Once again, we had a common goal,” Johnson said.
The dispute resulted in another change: The state law that blocked the sale has been rescinded. The Rev. Brigid Farrell, district superintendent for the church, testified on behalf of a bill sponsored by Rep. Gabrielle Lucke, D-Hartford, that changed the requirement for a two-thirds majority to a simple majority, which is in line with other denominations. The bill was signed into law in April.
Franklin said the change is meant to help other congregations, not Hartford’s.
“It’s over,” he said. “We’re staying in our church.”
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.