By Jim Coggins

AFTER more than two years, the congregation of Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, B.C. recently moved back into its sanctuary.

On April 25, 2008, the floor of the church collapsed during a concert by the band Starfield. Repairing the damage from that accident has been a long process. Only one section of the floor had collapsed, so the damage was not as extensive as it could have been.

A bigger concern was future safety. Engineers and officials from the City of Abbotsford pored over the building to try to determine why the floor had collapsed - and how it could be rebuilt so it would not collapse again.

It was August 2009 before the city gave the go-ahead for repairs to begin. The work was begun in January, using professional crews and volunteer labour from church members.

The damaged floor was replaced, and the entire floor of the sanctuary was reinforced with additional trusses. Carpets were replaced, pews were repaired, damaged drywall was replaced, and changes were made to the sprinkler system.

The cost to restore the sanctuary to current building codes was about $200,000. The accident had a significant impact, not only on the building, but also on the congregation.

There was an older worship centre at the other end of the church building - but according to fire regulations, it could only house a maximum of 350 people per service. With a congregation of just over 1,000, the church immediately instituted four weekend services -_one on Saturday evening and three on Sunday morning.

This has meant that the congregation has been somewhat fractured. The older sanctuary is somewhat cramped, and it has been a little too warm on some summer Sunday mornings, executive pastor Steve Boakes said. "But the congregation has been magnificent. They have been very patient and understanding."

Attendance numbers have suffered a little, as the church has not been able to provide consistent ministry support throughout the entire Sunday morning, in areas such as children's ministry and nursery. However, Boakes said, "We are confident that those who found our temporary measures not aligning to their timetable will return."

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"There has been no negative spiritual impact," Boakes continued. "In fact, I would say we are more united now as a church body than when the incident occurred. We have seen a number of new faces come to the church in the last two years."

Central Heights is planning a service of rededication and praise for God's faithfulness in the fall.

The insurance claim for restoring the building has been settled. However, claims for those who were injured in the accident are still in process. More than 40 people fell through the collapsed floor into the basement.

A proposed class action lawsuit has been withdrawn, and about a dozen people are pursuing individual lawsuits against the church; against the B.C. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (to which Central Heights belongs); and against Unite Productions, the promoters of the event.

The most seriously injured was church member Debbie Helsloot. It was feared at first that she might be paralyzed; but, after a lengthy rehabilitation, she has walked into the church to speak to the congregation on more than one occasion.

Meanwhile, other events in Abbotsford have also impacted the church. When the city built its 7,000-seat Entertainment and Sports Complex a couple of blocks away, with very limited parking, Central Heights was one of several nearby locations to allow parking for various events.

The church is located at the intersection of McCallum Road and the Trans-Canada Highway. In a joint project funded by the city, the province and the federal government, the overpass and ramps are being replaced. Construction began earlier this year, and will be completed within a few months. The new road will cut across a corner of the property owned by Central Heights.

While all of this has caused some further disruption, Boakes said there is a positive side.

"We have happily partnered with the city, to allow our parking lot to be used as overflow parking . . . and on more than one occasion have allowed parking for free as a community gesture. The work for the new interchange has exposed our building visually to many more people - and when the new interchange is finished, the location of Central Heights will be more prominent than before."

August 6/2010