Major renovations are continuing at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tamaqua.

In this phase — the third of what will likely be five — contractors are meticulously restoring the facade at the 1927 house of worship.

It’s a project, church council President Michael Haspe said, that couldn’t be put off any longer.

“We were pretty much told that if you don’t do this now, your stained glass window is going to be in the street,” Haspe said, referring to a multi-paned piece in the church’s sanctuary depicting Jesus.

The towering cathedral at the corner of Greenwood and Mauch Chunk streets is made of limestone and granite. But it also contains concrete — and those are the parts that have been failing, Haspe said. The building material typically has a 100-year lifespan, but around 2017, some of it reached its end. Chunks of concrete detached and fell from the church.

Contractors were called to remove remaining loose concrete and work on the Greenwood Street side of the building.

Next up were renovations to the Upper Mauch Chunk Street tower in 2019.

The part that’s underway now — Phase III — had been planned for a few years from now. But when leaks began to spring, allowed in by the aging concrete, the congregation learned that it would have to do it “quicker than we thought,” Haspe said.

Degruchy Masonry, a Quakertown firm that specializes in historic restoration projects, is recasting concrete by hand, cleaning limestone and repointing masonry.

Work should finish sometime in October at a cost close to $500,000.

“You’re now going to see details that were lost to time” when work is finished, Haspe said.

The congregation is using saved and borrowed funds to pay for the repairs.

A pillar of hope

Haspe said that some might question why — at a time when many churches are closing — the congregation is undertaking the expense.

“I’m a big believer that the church is not the building but the congregation,” he said. “But without the building, the ministry that we do in Tamaqua would not be possible.”

The church offers the People’s Pantry, an emergency walk-up food pantry that’s supported by the church and the community. Its Diaper Depot, which offers free diapers each month to those residing in the Tamaqua Area School District, recently distributed its 500,000th diaper.

A Narcan ministry recently began to provide the lifesaving drug to those who overdose on opioids.

“Everybody automatically thinks about people who are in addiction,” Haspe said. “What they don’t think about is seniors with cognitive issues who accidentally overdose on their medication. Anybody can forget that they took their prescription and take it again.”

Zion’s Vacation Bible School also acted as a feeding ministry. This summer, the church offered an evening program and a day program to provide Bible education, crafts, games music and free food to 75 children.

It also operates the Blessings Thrift Shop, which offers clothing, housewares, books and more at discounted prices.

“To be able to come in and get quality merchandise affordably, a lot of people really appreciate that,” Haspe said. “That’s one of the ministries that without the building, it just wouldn’t be possible.”

A long history

The Rev. Cindy White, pastor of the church, said the congregation is very supportive of the community — and does much of its good work from the church.

“That structure was built almost 100 years ago to the glory of God to serve the community and beyond,” White said. “And beyond all else, we want to make sure that people are safe and that we can continue to serve.”

It also previously served as a home for Meals on Wheels, a Narcotics Anonymous meetings and Boy and Girl Scout troops.

“Over the decades, our building has been used heavily,” Haspe said. “We’re just not a building in your community. Our doors are open to all people.”

He noted that the church’s congregation was established in 1896. Its original meeting space was at the corner of Mauch Chunk Street and Schuylkill Avenue, the site that most recently housed the former Tamaqua Italian Club.

“It was actually a church — if you look at it you can see where the steeple was cut off when the church left,” Haspe said.

The current church was built in 1927 under the leadership of the Rev. George A. Gebert.

“That was his vision. The congregation grew. He wanted to build a bigger building,” Haspe said.

But because of the Great Depression and World War II, work on the sanctuary was put on hold.

“So the congregation worshiped in what we now use as a social hall for 20 years,” Haspe said. “I think that part of our history really shares how resilient and strong our congregation is. Even when we didn’t think we could make it, God provided a way.”

In the 1950s, the church was determined to finish the sanctuary and upstairs areas.

To raise funds, the church “sold” loose-leaf Bible pages to families.

“When the Bible was complete, they would then have enough money to finish the church,” Haspe said.

Donations made to the “building restoration” may be mailed to the church at 109 N. Greenwood St., Tamaqua. Folks can also visit www.ziontamaqua.com to learn more about the project and to donate.

“We could use the help from our community. Even a dollar helps,” Haspe said.

The church is open to all. Saturday services are held at 6 p.m., and Sunday services at 9 a.m.