New beginnings

Your world can change in the blink of an eye.

Unforeseen circumstances can step in, unexpectedly erupting and causing utter chaos in your quiet, everyday life.

The parishioners of Barren Run United Methodist Church, South Huntingdon Township, had their lives disrupted in such a manner, on the morning of Jan. 20, 1998, as they stood by and watched their beloved 120-year-old church burn to the ground, the victim of an arsonist.

"At first they cried," church Pastor Terry Trudgen recalled "Then they decided to start ideas for a new church."

The parishioners began to meet in the old schoolhouse close to the church and began to plan the building of a new structure.

"Some of the parishioners wanted to rebuild the church exactly how it had been, and others wanted to make it bigger and better," Trudgen said.

The parishioners and community rolled up their sleeves and began work, with donations of time and material.

"The people of the church did a lot of the work and the community people donated a lot of time. The community helped build the church," the pastor said.

And bigger and better it became.

The original structure was a small, white wooden building. But the new Barren Run is an impressive red brick structure, complete with a large family facility for dinners and meetings, and an education area for Sunday school and children gatherings.

The original church was insured, but only for replacement cost of the structure. So when the new building was complete, the parishioners were looking at a mortgage in excess of $100,000.

"The mortgage was for $120,000," parishioner Bonny Stahl said.

She added that the parishioners had no idea where they would get the money. Then a miracle happened. The answer was easier than they had ever anticipated. The parish members just opened up the mailbox.

"The checks just started to come in," church secretary Karen Kelley said. "One of the first was from a lumber company for $1,000."

The check from the company was sent without any explanation or reason, just two little words written on the memo line reading "God Bless."

"It just came," Kelley said.

Many more followed.

The church never solicited funds. It held very few fundraisers.

"We just kept receiving donations and the checks just kept coming in," Kelley said.

"We also received help from the Scottdale Masons," church trustees president Dennis Smith said. "The Greensburg ministries sent us a donation. There were so many churches being burned at the time."

The Barren Run church was the first of four or five area churches destroyed by arson at that time. Although many people were questioned, no arrests were ever made.

The first service was held in the new church on Dec. 19, 1999, and the consecration service was held on June 4, 2000.

What seemed like an impossible hill for the 230 parishioners to climb, has not only been conquered, but in a very short period of time.

The entire $120,000 was satisfied and repaid, and the parishioners were able to hold a mortgage-burning ceremony only five years after taking on a debt they never thought they could repay.

The mortgage-burning ceremony took place June 5, with more than 100 parishioners present.

Ironically, one of the only things to survive the earlier fire was a box of candles. These were distributed and used during the ceremony.

Trudgen was not the pastor at the time of the fire, but joined the congregation shortly after. He became the driving force behind its rebirth.

"We were in the grieving mode and in the building mode. He came and built the people. It was time to become a church again," Kelley said. "God has his plans; He provides, and this is a perfect example of that."