Bethel UM Church undertakes major renovations

What started as a project to renovate an old elevator lift to the second floor of Bethel United Methodist Church in Lewes quickly escalated into a much, much larger endeavor.

By the time a committee of 15 was finished with their wish list, members of the West Fourth Street Church were set on a $2.2 million capital campaign.

Campaign chairman Todd Mentzer said not much major work had been done on the church since the fellowship hall wing was added in 1956; the sanctuary was built in 1910. The goals of the project were to improve accessibility, functionality and hospitality and to modernize the church.

The construction area has been off limits, so the church had to restrict the use of the fellowship hall, but members have adapted and been patient, Mentzer said. “Now that people have been able to see what's been accomplished so far, everyone is excited,” he said.

The Rev. Earle Baker said the time had come to make changes. He said the use of the fellowship hall had changed and upgrades were needed to reflect those changes, including much-needed upgrades in technology.

When it was built, it was used for dinners, community events, youth activities and even roller skating, he said. Today, among other uses, the church holds its contemporary church service there each Sunday.

Handicapped accessibility to the fellowship hall and sanctuary has been an ongoing issue. A new elevator, an interior ramp from a new lobby area leading into the sanctuary and a new entrance at street level will alleviate all of those issues.

One of the most impressive and time-consuming parts of the project did not require any new construction. The sanctuary's 106-year-old stained-glass windows were removed from the site, transported to Stained Glass of Shenandoah in Front Royal, Va., and totally refurbished at a cost of $100,000. The windows were covered with plywood when the stained glass was removed.

The windows were cracked, sagging and at risk of actually collapsing, Baker said.

Plexiglass placed on the windows for protection had yellowed and did not allow the true colors to shine through. The plexiglass has been removed and replaced with glass.

“The windows really seem to have come back to life,” Baker said. The windows were donated by Lewes families when the sanctuary was built in 1910.

Baker said because the church is located in the Lewes Historic District, part of the project qualified for historic tax credits that offset about one third of the cost of restoring the stained-glass windows and the work on the large red entrance door.

Work started in April 2015 and is expected to be completed by Easter of 2016. “We are saying a lot of prayers,” Baker said with a smile.

The project includes the following:

Sanctuary: Stained-glass window restoration; red entrance door restoration; improved altar and sanctuary lighting; and a sound system upgrade.

Fellowship hall: New stage theater lighting; improved hall lighting; sound system upgrade; new video system; new stage curtains; and new HVAC system.

Entry/lobby: New main entrance/foyer; new full-size elevator; new upper and lower level lobbies; new lounge; new accessible restrooms on both levels; and new interior ramp into the sanctuary.