In the early morning hours of Tuesday March 23 a massive fire (apparently ignited by a lightning strike) consumed the historic church building that housed the Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC in Cleveland, Ohio.
The building was completely destroyed. Thankfully none of the 200+ members of the congregation were in the building and there were no significant injuries from the blaze.
The church was founded in 1843 and the building itself was some 133 years old. It was a beautiful structure. Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC was one of the first racially integrated churches in Cleveland, and counts among her members the Rev. Paul Sherry, former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.
I’ve been thinking about Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC so much this week because I know their interim pastor. The Rev. Dr. Terri Young was the Interim Pastor called to serve Kent United Church of Christ for two-and-a-half-years while I was the Associate Pastor there. Terri and I worked together, prayed together, and under her guidance Kent UCC was transformed through the interim process. When her time with Kent was finished, she took the position as Interim Pastor at Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC.
The church has accepted an offer of worship space at the recently vacated First Methodist Church building, just down the street from where their building used to stand. Their first worship service in this different space will be today, Palm/Passion Sunday.
I hope that you will join me in lifting up our brothers and sisters in faith at Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC, their Interim Pastor the Rev. Dr. Terri Young, the church’s leaders, members, and friends at this unbelievably difficult time.
Yours in the journey, Rev. Brian
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