PEW RENEWAL

Pressed up against Sunday dresses and polyester slacks for more than 60 years, the pews of the old Redeemer Lutheran Church needed repair.

The project’s inception came during All Nations Christian Center’s inaugural March 4 service when first-time attendee Steve Hunt felt compelled to do something during the service at 404 N. Argonne Road.

“I haven’t had a spiritual experience like that in about 10 or 12 years,” Hunt said. “I believe the Lord laid it on me to do this.”

“It was an answer to prayer,” said Pastor Vince Schott. “The staff had a debate on whether to pull the pews out or not. They are worn out and we didn’t want people’s clothes snagged. My wife said they are so beautiful God will do something.”

Hunt is donating time, money and crew for a project estimated to cost him more than $4,000. The project began on March 8. Hunt hopes to have the pews completed by the end of the month.

“I had three weeks where I didn’t have any work for my guys as we’re just getting started after the home show,” Hunt said. “This way I get to keep them working. And I can do something great for the church and the community.”

Currently Hunt has two men, Scotty Batten and David Locke, working daily on the project. Hunt’s wife Irma and his four children also donate time. Although the original intent was to recondition the wood, Hunt decided to restore the pews back to original condition after work began.

“Once we analyzed everything we decided to make them look great instead of just pretty nice,” said Hunt. “They’ll look brand new again.”

Each pew consists of four different species of woods: ash, oak, birch and white oak.

To accommodate the church proceedings, Hunt is removing two pews at a time from the sanctuary and taking them into the church basement to sand. Intricate woodcarvings on the outer panels require extra care when sanding.

“We have to use three different grades of sandpaper,” said Hunt. “The book holders on the back have to be sanded by hand.”

Once sanded, stain applied by hand gives the wood a permanent color.

After two applications of the stain, the crew applies lacquer, sealer, conditioning oil and polish to complete the finish.

When the pew restoration is completed, Hunt and his crew plan to restore the windowsills around the stained glass windows in the sanctuary.

In 1981, Hunt began his professional woodworking career with Carter Holly Hills Broadway of Southern California, which later became Nordstrom.

In 1996, he formed his own custom kitchen design company out of his home in Southern California. He moved to Spokane and purchased his current company, Kitchen Tune-up, in 2005.

“This is what I love,” said Hunt. “It doesn’t feel like work.”

The original Redeemer Lutheran Church building, constructed in 1929, still exists on the north side of the building. In 1940, the church added a larger sanctuary.

Redeemer sold the building in 1988 to Linda Wasson who operated it as a small wedding chapel, The Gathering Place. Through the years, she leased the building to a number of different churches to hold services during their interim period.

All Nation’s purchased the building from Wasson and opened their doors on March 4. The sale allows Wasson to continue holding weddings until Sept. 1.

The Valley campus is the second site All Nation’s owns. It also has a campus at 1201 W. Spofford Road, which opened its doors on Sept. 3, 2006.

Besides the pew restoration, ANCC plans to restore the interior of the church back to the original 1940 condition, preserving the historical and architectural integrity of the church.

“As God is restoring peoples lives we are symbolically putting this building back together,” said Schott. “The physical restoration is happening side by side with the spiritual restoration.”

Schott commissioned a new large stained glass window for above the doors to replace one removed by Redeemer Lutheran. The window was boarded up in 1988.

“The window will bring back the 1940 look,” said Schott. “It will be back lit so people will see it from the street.”

Paint, new carpet, reconditioned wood floor and an updated heating system including air conditioning are some of the other renovations planned.

The campus features a large three-story home on the north side of the church. Schott plans to renovate the home to house single moms.

“We want it to be a refuge for single moms without an income,” said Schott. “They’ll be able to live there at no cost.”

Schott hopes to have the entire campus renovation completed by next year.