Cleveland church trying to bounce back from costly damages

Pastor Wanda Hill Chestnut of St. Luke Church has led the congregation for the past seven years. Her late parents, Joe and Sarah Hill, founded the church at 7919 Kinsman Road for nearly 40 years.

"One of our mottos is to love God but live life and serve others," Hill Chestnut said.

Ministry is a calling that doesn't rest, and lately, St. Luke has been dealing with unexpected problems.

In late June, the church took a hit.

"There was a motorist coming over the Kinsman bridge, going access of 90-plus MPH, according to the police report," Pastor Hill Chestnut said. "And they destroyed the guard rail, demolished a utility pole, and as you can see, they took down 125 feet of our fence."

An initial report from Cleveland Police said three people in the vehicle were hurt.

Pastor Hill Chestnut said the stretch of Kinsman Road in front of her church is known for speeders, and now the church is paying for fence repairs they didn't budget for.

"It was nearly $3,000 just to buy the materials. The driver did not have insurance. If we use insurance, then that means our rates go up exponentially," Pastor Hill Chestnut said.

So now, the church is looking for experienced volunteers to help install the fencing for aesthetic and safety reasons.

And the saying that when it rains, it pours has proven true.

"This afternoon we should start taping and cleaning all the seams up," said David Searcy, who's been a church member for 20 years.

Friday, Searcy and other members were placing sheetrock in the sanctuary following tree damage from the Aug. 6 storms.

"The tree fell onto the roof and the branches of the tree went through the roof and water came through those holes," said Pastor Hill Chestnut.

She said the ceiling above the pulpit became saturated and collapsed.

"After that, the same tree was struck by lightning, so now the tree is split in two. So, removing that Jurassic Park size tree has been an issue for us as well," Pastor Hill Chestnut said.

All of the challenges were happening as the church was already set to begin a wall reconstruction project.

Getting the tree cut down is now a priority, but with estimates coming in at several thousand dollars, Pastor Hill Chestnut doesn't know when or who will get the job done.

Searcy said members are stepping up in various ways, but sometimes, jobs are outside their expertise.

"We're trying to do everything the pastor asked us to do and then some," Searcy said.

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