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The fire that broke out on Easter Sunday, April 9 devastated the Faith Lutheran Church, located at 311 Broadway in Cambridge, but donations and support have poured in to help the church recover.
A small congregation worships at the 130-year-old building weekly, but it is also used for many other purposes, according to Robin Lutjohann, who has served as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church for the past seven years. Along with hosting the bi-weekly free supper, the church building has been used for services for different faiths, community gardening, and even a practice space for opera singers.
The free community meal scheduled for Tuesday will be provided by a member of the Temple Beth Shalom which co-organizes the event with Faith Lutheran Church. The venue? Possibly the park across the street from the church, Lutjohann said.
Lutjohann is not sure how much money or time it will take to repair the building, but the cost will challenge the small congregation "significantly," according to the GoFundMe set up to support the church.
Firefighters from different communities helped the Cambridge Fire Department complete searches, protect neighboring buildings, and contain and extinguish the fire, all in heavy smoke conditions.
Lutjohann received calls that the church was on fire around 5:40 p.m., and rushed to watch the firefighters work to extinguish the flames, an experience he calls "a kind of vigil."
Despite the damage, the congregation will continue worshipping. Multiple other churches have offered to share space for services or office work, Lutjohann said.
“We will be guests for a while, we will not be homeless," he said.
The outpouring of support has included thousands of dollars in donations to the GoFundMe that will support the reconstruction of the building.
"It's incredibly gratifying," Lutjohann said about the community's reaction. "We can see the impact of the church in the community, some of which we didn’t know about. People are sharing how much the building meant to them, how they want to help, pray, contribute financially. I can’t say thank you often enough."
No injuries were reported in the fire, for which Lutjohann also expressed gratitude.
“We will not give into despair," said Lutjohann. "With the help of our neighbors and friends, we are going to do what we can to rebuild the property."
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