Moving forward one year after a fire destroyed their building. An Eastford church is optimistic about rebuilding, but also extending to the grace to the two minors arrested for that fire.
Moving forward one year after a fire destroyed their building. An Eastford church is optimistic about rebuilding, but also extending to the grace to the two minors arrested for that fire.
“It's disappointing that it's kind of human nature, you know, for people to do dumb things. These are dumb things in the extreme, of course.”
Pastor Mike Moran was still left processing after his church was burned to the ground last April due to arson. The loss left the Congregational Church of Eastford nowhere to go, but the local community stepped up.
“That morning, we worshiped in the gym in the public school. It's like a K through 8 school and we've been there every Sunday since,” Moran said.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
He says his congregation took advantage of the space with surprising results.
“Like the coolest thing has happened, which is our Sunday morning attendance has grown like 30, 40 percent. We have a lot of new members,” Moran said.
On Friday, police say they arrested two minors for the church arson. Moran says it was unfortunate to learn how young they were, but as a man of faith, he says he’s willing to forgive.
Local
“When it comes to the perpetrator of an act of arson against us, you know, we really don't have any other position other than forgiveness,” he said.
Moran says the church had insurance from the fire in order to get funds to rebuild. He hopes to have service in a new building by the end of next year.
