Beggs United Methodist Church

For 95 years, our church has stood as a place of worship, refuge, and community. Generations have walked through its doors—finding hope in hard times, celebrating life’s joys, and growing in faith together. It has witnessed countless baptisms, weddings, and moments of prayer, offering a place for solace and spiritual growth.

Today, this beloved house of worship is in urgent need of major repairs. Time, weather, and age have taken their toll, and without significant restoration, the very foundation of our church is at risk.

The major problem is the upper masonry structure that houses the church bell has aged to the point that it is allowing rainwater to seep freely into the entry. As you can see in the pictures above, the water has caused structural damage to the wooden framing, flooring and ceiling in both the entry and in the basement. The tremendous amount of rain we have received the last couple of months has greatly accelerated the deterioration.

Over the last 4 years, in an effort to fix the problems while preserving the current looks, we have spent over $50k in numerous attempts to repair the bell tower. But in spite of the generosity of our members, all of our attempts have been in vain, and the problem continues to grow.

A professional engineering firm has been engaged and has come up with a plan to solve our problem, but the cost is significantly more than a 30 member congregation can handle. Our congregation has a big heart, but our financial situation is not sufficient to cover the costs of the repairs, so we are reaching out to you to ask for your support in restoring and preserving our beloved church. The restoration will ensure that future generations can continue to find peace, connection, and inspiration within its walls.

We are turning to you — friends, family, neighbors, and those who believe in preserving sacred and historic places — for help. Your donation will go towards:

• Removing the very upper part of the narthex (where the “stairstep masonry is) so that a flat surface is created. Then a hipped roof can be erected which will direct water away from the brick façade more efficiently. The wooden structure inside the narthex would be repaired as well as the walls, flooring, foundation and exterior to maintain the church’s integrity. The quoted estimate for this part of the repair is just over $125,000.

• Restoration of the beautiful stained-glass windows that make our church a unique and cherished place is next. The frames on multiple windows have begun to sag to the point that large gaps between the windows and framing have appeared.

At some point in the distant past, the windows were covered on the outside with plexiglass to protect the windows but those have yellowed with age making it extremely difficult to see the stained glass from the outside. The plexiglass will be replaced.

• Repairs to the entry mandates that we must also install safety upgrades to ensure accessibility and comfort for all. This requires installing ADA compliant access to the front of the church.

• The sidewalks leading to the church and fellowship hall must be replaced as they have become broken and jagged and a tripping hazard exists as well as making handicap access very difficult.

Our goal is not just to fix a building—it’s to preserve a legacy, to keep the doors open for worship, outreach, and community life for generations to come. We invite you to be a part of this important project. Every gift, no matter how large or small, brings us one step closer to preserving this sacred space for future generations.

We ask for your prayers, your generosity, and your support as we work together to restore this beloved church. Thank you for helping us continue this legacy of faith and service.

If you’re unable to donate at this time, you can still help by sharing this campaign with others who might feel called to give.

We are deeply grateful for your support, your prayers, and your generosity. Let’s restore this sacred space together.

With heartfelt gratitude and blessings,

The Beggs United Methodist Members