With match in hand, Tim Gray, pastor, along with Ed Doherty, head elder, and Les Sevison, treasurer, set ablaze the Meridian (Idaho) Church's mortgage papers on Feb. 7. This 110-member church managed to pay off their $180,000 mortgage in just seven and a half years.
Gray asked the congregation to share some of their memories regarding the building of the new church. Chris Schaffer recalled the concern over whether or not the church would receive its occupancy permit in time for the NET ’96 meetings. The city issued the permit late on Friday afternoon, just hours before the meetings were to begin.
Several other members recalled the physical building of the church, working together to pound nails (and fingers!) to put up that first wall. Help with the construction also came from members of other Adventist churches in the area and Gem State Adventist Academy students.
One of the younger members, Rachel Sevison, who was 10 years old at the time and is now a junior at Gem State Adventist Academy, recalled that, in addition to helping raise walls and pound nails, all of the kids climbed down into the crawlspace and went from one end of the building to the other. Their names are still inscribed on the support beams under the floor.
Also participating in the mortgage burning were Irene Willis, Pat Britzius and Sherry Bolender, members of the building fund-raising committee, and Linda Sevison, co-treasurer.
Pat Britzius, Sherry Bolender, Irene Willis, Tim Gray, Ed Doherty, Les Sevison and Linda Sevision watch as the mortgage is burned.
Members of the Meridian Church enjoy a meal together in their debt-free building.
