Presbyterians replace stained glass, renovate historic sanctuary

(Daily Herald) The 133-year-old Community Presbyterian Church in American Fork has launched an ambitious renovation.

"We realized we had a crisis," said Laura Mitchell, elder in charge of the congregation's capital campaign.

The sanctuary here boasts 10 stained glass windows. In 2004, members realized that the lead veining used to piece the windows together had begun to collapse after decades of supporting the weight of the glass.

The windows were "crumbling, folding in on themselves," Mitchell said.

Pastor Al Hammond said when he joined the congregation a year ago, his introduction to the church was stepping on broken glass.

There were other problems, too. The brick of the sanctuary, more than a century old, was in poor repair and even had gaps. Ancient toilets had become unusable, forcing church members to walk to an adjacent building. A fence on the property is collapsing. And landscaping work needs to be updated.

While the renovation may be priceless to the 65 people who worship here each week, the bill tops $300,000.

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