Calvary Temple Church in Saint John, N.B. overwhelmed with support for restoration costs

SAINT JOHN, N.B. -

The building that houses the Calvary Temple Church in Saint John's city core has stood for more than a century – but the stone structure has unfortunately seen better days.

The roof of the building on Sydney Street is now badly in need of repairs. The shingles, which were installed just over 15 years ago, are disintegrating much earlier than was expected – leading to water damage that can be seen on the ceiling of the main sanctuary of the church.

“The roof began to show lots of wear and tear, then we had some leaks that happened, and so there’s been damage over the last nine months or so,” says lead pastor Chad Nickerson. “[The church] certainly has lots of history, and our congregation has been worshipping in this building for just over 55 years, and so, it needs a little TLC.”

The church is now in the middle of a major building restoration fundraising campaign, and the price tag to make the repairs is in the amount of $150,000 – a steep cost for a congregation of 100 people.

The Calvary Temple Church put out a call for help and the response has come as a surprise – with 12 churches from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and even as far as Ontario – all pitching in to help make the repairs a reality.

“I have to be honest, I am totally amazed with the amount of money that has come in,” says Debbie Michaels, an administrative assistant and longtime congregation member.

“We trust and we believe and we know God will provide, but it’s just astounding when you see the checks for $5,000,” said Michaels.

The church has now raised about $87,000 to fix the building. Those with the church hope, as the momentum continues to build, that they will soon be able to meet their goal.

“If things are going to go like they seem to be, I think we may be able to reach that in the next couple months,” says Nickerson.

If you would like to help Calvary Temple Church with their repairs, you can do so by visiting their website.