Pastor David DuBois left his office to head to the auditorium of the First Baptist Church to meet the unexpected a few months ago.
He stepped down the stairs and splashed into a puddle and when he turned the lights on, he found the foyer to the auditorium was flooded.
Most of the church was.
Now, the congregation worships at the Florence Simmons hall at Holland College on Sundays.
It may not be the usual church hall, although the congregation appreciates it, said Dubois.
“It’s a different atmosphere but it’s been well received by the congregation.”
Aside from the congregation, the church serves other community interests such as hosting English learning sessions for newcomers and mentoring programs by Holland College.
DuBois said that he and the congregation are grateful to Holland College.
“They’ve been wonderful to us. We appreciate their flexibility and reception of us,” he said.
Meanwhile, The First Baptist Church is undergoing repairs.
Most of the pews and tiles in the sermon auditorium were ruined by the flooding. The damage will be covered with insurance.
DuBois said the pews in the church will be replaced with pew-chairs, which could be detached unlike normal pews.
For this Easter, the church will hold a sermon on Friday and Sunday at 10 a.m.
Youth programs are held at Immanuel Christian school’s gym and children’s ministry will be held at Prince Street Elementary’s gym.
