Parishoners look for new home after devastating fire
The owners of the church in Shepherd’s Bush road, which was badly damaged in a fire last Tuesday, say they are desperate to find a temporary new home while their building is being repaired.
Daniel Makonnen is one of the Directors of the Great Commission Ministry, which bought the church in May.
“The church has been so badly damaged that we will have to relocate for a year or more,” he told ShepherdsBushW12.com.
He said the council had served a notice on the building saying it was unsafe to use. The walls of the building are structurally safe but scaffolding has had to be erected at the front because engineers were afraid it might collapse.
“The roof is badly damaged and we will need a new one,” said Makonnen. “The huge amount of water used to put out the fire has destroyed all our equipment,” he said.
The church is on three levels, including an upper gallery and a sanctuary and all have been affected by either the fire or the water.
The church was destroyed when the blaze, which started at an adjacent hostel for the homeless, swept through the building last Tuesday.
“We are looking to re-locate for a year,” said Makonnen. “We’ve been looking for a warehouse or a place where we can settle down. All the churches in the area are fully booked and cannot accommodate us,” he said.
The church congregation is primarily from the Philippines but there are also English, Ethiopian and other African worshippers.
“The parishioners are in shock,” Makonnen said. “We usually have a service on a Friday evening but the real test will be this Sunday, when 150 – 200 people usually attend. We don’t know what’s going to happen. If we find somewhere to go, we will contact the parishioners by e-mail and telephone to tell them of the new location.”
Around 75 firefighters tackled Tuesday’s blaze at the church, which has been a local landmark for 150 years.
Yesterday (Thursday), 36-year-old Jennifer Morrow appeared in court charged with starting the fire. She has been remanded in custody, awaiting trial.
Yasmine Estaphanos
1 August 2008
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