If pride is a sin, let's say the congregation of Bethany Presbyterian in Statesville is more than pleased after the restoration of the church sanctuary.
Renovations began in January and were completed for a debut on Mother's Day of this year.
"It stays true to the history here," church session member Lisa Buhrmaster said. "Forever, I'd come up the steps and you would walk in and it was more modern looking inside. Now you walk from the outside in, and it all goes together."
The church on Bethany Road was founded in 1775, and the structure that services are held inside of today was built in 1855. The 1855 building replaced the original building that had been constructed closer to Turnersburg Highway in 1777.
Prior to the update completed in May, the most recent renovation of the interior came in the 1960s, according to church historian and session member Ronny Bass.
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The plan for the 2024 renovation was to stick with a modern look, Buhrmaster said, but the shiplap walls and heart pine wooden floors hiding behind Sheetrock and carpet were found in good condition and gave the church a chance to turn back the clock.
"That makes a big difference when you walk in. It takes you back," Bass said. "The whole place is different for us because it had always been the same our whole lives."
The ceiling was raised to its original height and the removal of drywall behind the pulpit revealed four spaces for windows that had been covered. A donation of stained glass from Laws Stained Glass Studios, Inc., filled those openings to match the other windows in the sanctuary. The windows were donated in honor of C.A. "Jack" Laws and Helen Laws, who grew up in the church, Buhrmaster said.
The changes at Bethany were more than cosmetic.
The church discovered that the sanctuary floor was only held up by nine wooden columns since it was built more than a century ago. That led to some sagging of the floor over the next 169 years. The church had 20 more pillars added to make it more secure.
The renovations cost about $200,000. That's more than the original bill for building the church.
When the building was constructed in 1885, Bass said, the church was short on money. Part of the pay for the original builder was a cast-iron skillet. This year's renovations were roughly the cost of 8,000 cast-iron skillets today, but no cookware was exchanged.
Church leaders said the renovations were largely paid for with money from the sale of a home left to the church by a former member.
Renovations began in January and were completed for a debut on Mother's Day of this year.
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