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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Cleaning up

Brianne Reeves of Capstone Construction cleans the walls of the gymnasium at Salem Lutheran Church last Thursday afternoon. The church will temporarily hold services, meetings and programs in the gymnasium, which had only minimal smoke damage from a recent fire. Also, several churches have offered space. (Holly Pickett / The Spokesman-Review)
Virginia De Leon Staff writer
Brianne Reeves of Capstone Construction cleans the walls of the gymnasium at Salem Lutheran Church last Thursday afternoon. The church will temporarily hold services, meetings and programs in the gymnasium, which had only minimal smoke damage from a recent fire. Also, several churches have offered space. (Holly Pickett / The Spokesman-Review)

Despite a fire that heavily damaged their building, members of Salem Lutheran Church remain determined to fulfill their mission of spreading a message of hope and working side by side with their neighbors in West Central Spokane. “Our ministry isn’t about this building,” said the Rev. W. Thomas Soeldner, pastor of the historic church. “It’s about working with people. … We don’t want (the fire) to stop us from working toward our goals.”

Last Tuesday, fire crews responded to a blaze that began in a kindergarten classroom in the northwest corner of the church. No one was hurt, but intense heat and smoke damaged nearly the entire building, coating walls and floors with filth, soot and sticky plastic from the toys that melted in the nursery. The fire apparently had been smoldering for hours before it was discovered about 8:20 a.m., according to Soeldner. Investigators couldn’t determine what ignited the blaze, but members of the church say it may have been caused by a faulty light fixture.

The fire, which forced the congregation to worship in its gym Sunday morning, also has displaced at least a dozen community groups that meet regularly at the church.

Over the years, Salem Lutheran has evolved into more than just a church for the people of the West Central community. For many in this low-income neighborhood, the building has become a second home, a gathering place, even a refuge for those in need.

Until last week’s blaze, the church was always full of people, in constant use by youth groups, moms clubs, people meeting for Bible study or to talk about community development.

Located a few blocks west of the County Courthouse on Broadway Avenue, the building has been the rehearsal site for the Lilac City Symphony Orchestra, as well as the meeting spot for Our Place Ministries and other nonprofit organizations. In the summer, kids from the neighborhood came here several times a week to get a free meal. The church’s basement also served as an office for VOICES, an organization dedicated to helping the poor and disadvantaged of Spokane.

“It’s devastating,” said Josh Roe, a West Central resident and area director of Youth for Christ, a ministry for low-income youth that was based in the church until last year. Salem Lutheran has been like a second home, he said, “a neutral place where people from the neighborhood can come together and congregate.”

Leaders of the church, however, remain optimistic. Yes, there will be hardships, they said. And yes, it will take time. But hope remains, said Allen Anderson, president of the church council and a member for 27 years.

“A lot of positive things could come out of this,” he said. “God works in mysterious ways.”

Besides, it’s not the first time that the church has been faced with challenges, said Anderson, citing the 1949 fire that burned the original church and a windstorm that blew the gym’s roof away several years ago.

The people of Salem Lutheran are a resilient group, said Carl Larson, who has been a member since he was baptized at the church 53 years ago. “The folks that have been there all these years are accustomed to change,” he said.

Founded in 1886 by Swedish immigrants, Salem Lutheran is now a congregation of about 75 members who are committed to community outreach. The church is involved in a number of neighborhood ministries, including the Lutheran Book Parlor next door and Salem Arms, which provides housing for the impoverished and the mentally ill.

Their efforts won’t wane, despite the temporary loss of their building, members said.

“We count our buildings and properties as good gifts,” explained Soeldner, who has been the pastor for the last 2 ½ years. “But our gifts quickly become a burden when we focus our attention on them rather than seeing them as a resource to our ministry.”

Soeldner and others don’t have a damage estimate yet, but are counting on insurance to pay for the reconstruction.

Members plans to worship in the church’s gym for the next few weeks, but will need to find another place once Capstone Construction Co. begins its work. Several Lutheran churches, as well as other congregations in West Central, have offered space in their buildings.

Church leaders also plan to help VOICES and other organizations find temporary office and meeting space. Until the cleaning and renovation work begins, they’ll also offer these groups the use of their gym, which suffered minimal damage.

At this point, it’s difficult to tell when they’ll be able to move back into their building and worship in the sanctuary, Soeldner said. Estimates have ranged from two months to as long as a year.

Yet, despite the loss, church leaders are holding fast to their ministry of service.

“Our primary goal is to be a good neighbor in West Central,” said Soeldner. “Even in the face of difficulties, we can still find opportunities to witness to what we believe and to find the grace of God.”