Ladner United Church is closing in on its fundraising goal for the renovation and restoration of the 120-yearold structure, and after raising hundreds of thousands within the congregation, it's appealing to the wider community to help reach the final target.
The church has just $400,000 left to raise, said Rev. Jim Short, to ensure it will be debt-free once the new building is completed.
Construction is well underway and expected to be completed by next spring.
The church, constructed in the Gothic Revival style of architecture, has served the community for well over a century. It opened in 1893 as St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and served that congregation until 1925 when it merged with the Ladner Methodist Church and became Ladner United.
The building has undergone some changes over the years. It was raised in the 1930s to allow for the construction of a basement. A hall was added to the south of the original building in 1938 and in the 1970s, a large, single-storey addition was constructed on the west side.
Short said the renovation and restoration was planned to make the building a significant addition to the community, not only to preserve and showcase its heritage, but also to serve as a resource for the community at large.
"We plan to share this with them (the community)," said Michelle Fischer, who is helping spearhead the fundraising efforts. "It's not just a place of worship."
Short said in designing the project the church added many community elements: a community garden, kitchen and shelter room, which can serve many purposes, as well as flexible meeting spaces.
He said the aim was to make it a functional community space, not just a place for worship and church business.
Short also stressed the decision to preserve the heritage of the building was made with the community in mind. If the congregation just wanted to build a new church, he said, it would have been cheaper and easier to knock down the existing building and erect a modern church.
However, he said, the church saw the importance the community puts on its heritage and wanted to invest in restoring and honouring part of Ladner's past.
"We know that's important to the community," Short said. "This is a community project. This is really a community project being undertaken by Ladner United Church."
The sanctuary, which is part of the original building, is being expanded and restored.
Modern wood paneling has been removed to reveal the original wainscoting, the original fir floors will be restored and many windows have been saved. The exterior has been restored and the expanded building is being finished to match the look of the original church.
Short said the church is "very, very thankful" to its neighbours who have had to put up with, and will continue to have to endure, the noise and congestion that comes along with a construction project of this size.
"Our neighbours have been so, so understanding," he said.
To make a donation to the Ladner United Church building fund, call the church office at 604-946-6254 or visit www.ladnerunited.org.
