08 Dec Fire Destroys Grace UB Church (Sherkston, Ontario)

Brian Magnus, bishop of the United Brethren Church in Canada, reports that the Grace UB church in Sherkston, Ontario, burned to the ground during the night.

He said the the pastor’s family, living in the parsonage next to the church, noticed smoke coming from the church building around 3:30 in the morning. They immediately called 911. Fire trucks came from Sherkston, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, and even Niagara Falls.

Bishop Magnus said, “The front half (sanctuary, lobby and basement) are down to the basement foundation walls. The back half is also burned, and smoke- and water-filled, and will need to be torn down to the concrete slab.”

The parsonage has some smoke damage. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the fire.

Bishop Magnus writes, “Please be praying for this congregation. I guess the news spread and some of the church members and neighbors stood around watching the last couple of hours. They’re in shock and need God’s comfort.”

Grace UB has consistently been one of the largest contributors to United Brethren missions. Over the years, a number of UB missionaries have come from Grace, including Ruth Benner, Shirley Fretz, Kathy Jones, Audrey Federline, Olive Weaver, and Eula Eby, all of whom served in Sierra Leone.