Flood Update

The devastating flood in June of 2008 filled the Salem building, at First Avenue and Third Street SW with over ten feet of water, as measured from the sidewalk outside the building. The mucking out and securing of the building required the removal of the hardwood layers of the floors in the sanctuary and fellowship hall, as well as all the pews in the sanctuary. The 104 year old subfloor remains, but it is no where near solid or safe enough for more than a few people at a time to walk or stand on. The mechanical systems (furnace, water heaters, boiler, etc.) that had been located the basement were destroyed by the flood waters.

No decision about the future of the downtown Salem building can be made until the Army Corps of Engineers receives funding from Congress and can do a feasibility study to determine exactly where a future levy and flood protection system will be located. We know that it will be very close to the building, as it is now proposed to be constructed within a block away. That engineering study may take up to another 18 months, or possibly more. A “construction zone” for large, heavy equipment will be necessary during the construction period which could take 12 to 15 years. Until the facts of the flood protection system and its actual location are verified, we cannot make decisions about the future of the building. We would not be good stewards to spend large amounts of money to make the building usable without knowing the facts to be learned in the Army Corps of Engineers study.

The flood left the congregation of Salem, the people of Salem, the people who are Salem, homeless. Salem was immediately blessed, after the flood, by Lovely Lane United Methodist, in Cedar Rapids, The members their opened their hearts and building to us, allowing us to worship in their sanctuary each Sunday, hold meetings in other rooms, and have fellowship, and farewell, and welcome parties in their kitchen and Fellowship Hall. We will be forever grateful for Lovely Lane’s beautiful hospitality.

On August 3rd, 2008 Salem moved to the corner of 35th Street and C Avenue NE. The people of Echo Hill Presbyterian blessed us with the use of the former Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church buildings. The buildings were already for sale when we moved in. The understanding was that Salem could remain in the buildings until June 2009 if they did not sell before then. The graciousness of Echo Hill in sharing the facility with Salem was wonderful, and we are so very thankful to them. On January 17, 2009, Echo Hill notified us that they had just accepted an offer from a buyer for the Kenwood Park buildings. We rejoice with and for our brothers and sisters of Echo Hill. This sale will help them as they construct a new building on Echo Hill Road where they will worship our Lord for many years in the future. In a February 3rd meeting with Echo Hill, the buyer, and the realtor, we learned that the buyer, Calvary Chapel, would not actually move into and begin using the buildings in 60 days as originally thought, but sometime in the summer. They planned to begin repairs and renovations to the building very soon.

On Sunday, April 26, following our last worship service at 327 35th Street NE, members of the Salem congregation loaded everything except contents of the two offices into trucks and moved Salem's things to storage at the Ecumenical Center. Two days later the contents of the church office and Pastor John's office were moved to office space at Kenwood Park United Methodist Church at 175 34th Street NE. We will share space in the Kenwood Park building with deep appreciation of their offer of hospitality for offices, activities, and meetings as well as Sunday morning worship. Salem Church will worship in the KPUMC sanctuary at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings.

Salem is continuing to explore options and opportunities for our future. We continue to listen for God’s direction. We do not yet know where we will meet when our time in these loaned buildings concludes. We will not know the physical future of the downtown building, or what it will mean for the future of Salem for a minimum of another year, and most likely more. We know that complacency is not good, but that patience is. Most of all, we know that we remain the children of a loving God, and He has promised to not forsake us.