Church of the Week

Where the Church Meets:

Second Chance for Church Building Mirrors Pastor’s Testimony

BY NITA WILKINSON

Faith Editor

At first glance, it looks like the story of an old church building. The roof leaked. Time had taken its toll. Like so many small-town churches, some wondered what would become of it. Then something unexpected happened.

A congregation called Where the Church Meets was invited to purchase the former Presbyterian church in Rushsylvania, 136 S Sandusky St., for just $2.

The local congregation wanted to see the building continue serving the community, and after a brief stop through Presbytery for approval, the sale was finalized.

Today, the hole in the roof is gone. A new roof protects the sanctuary, renovations continue, and the old church has been given a second chance.

As it turns out, the same could be said for the man who now pastors it.

Pastor Wayne Harris doesn't hide his past. He grew up in the foster care system. His life included drug dealing, addiction and even jail.

He speaks openly about those years, because they remind him of the grace that changed everything and that grace is for everyone.

"My story isn't about where I was," he said. "It's about what Jesus did."

That redemption became the foundation of a church with a mission that is both simple and deeply personal. Everyone is welcome. Pastor Wayne says those words without hesitation. Then, just as quickly, he explains what they mean.

"Everyone is welcome here, but we're going to preach the truth."

Those two convictions live comfortably together at Where the Church Meets. Come as you are. Come in ripped jeans, work boots or a worn-out T-shirt. Come carrying questions, doubts or a past you'd rather forget.

Just come. There is no pretending. No pressure to look like you've got life figured out. But there is also no compromise when it comes to Scripture.

The congregation says Pastor Wayne has a unique gift for speaking difficult truths with genuine compassion. They jokingly call him an "elephant killer" because he never ignores the elephant in the room. He addresses hard subjects directly, but with such love that people know correction is never condemnation.

Many people throughout Logan County know Pastor Wayne for another reason. He's the man who carried a heavy wooden cross through the streets of Bellefontaine while running.

What started as an act of obedience slowly became one of the most formative seasons of his faith.

The cross was heavy. The miles were long. And somewhere between one step and the next, God began teaching him what it means to truly know His voice. Pastor Wayne explained it this way.

"When you hear your wife's voice in a crowded room, you know it's her because you know her. The same is true with God's voice."

Those quiet miles carrying the cross gave him time to know God in a deeper way. As his relationship with Christ grew, so did his confidence. A boldness for Jesus that had never been there before became second nature.

Today, that ministry continues as he mentors young men to carry the cross themselves, walking and running through area communities while learning what it means to follow Christ.

His passion for motorcycles has also become a ministry through Man on the Middle Cross, a motorcycle group that brings riders together around their shared faith.

The church itself has become a place for people who may have never imagined themselves walking through church doors. Young people who don't seem to fit anywhere else have found a home through the youth ministry.

Adults carrying scars from life discover they don't have to hide them. People who have spent years believing church wasn't for someone like them find out they were wrong.

Perhaps that's because their pastor never forgot where he came from. He knows what it's like to be the person wondering if there's still hope. He knows what it's like to believe your past has written your future. And he knows the freedom of discovering that Jesus writes better endings.

Looking around the sanctuary today, it's easy to admire the new roof and the steady renovations. But Pastor Wayne would likely tell you those aren't the greatest miracles taking place. The greatest restoration isn't happening in the building. It's happening within the people who walk through its doors.

There's something beautifully fitting about that. A weathered church building found new life through a congregation willing to restore it. A young man with a painful past found new life through Jesus Christ.

Today, both stand as reminders that God has always been in the business of redeeming what others might overlook. Where the Church Meets isn't just the name of a church. It's where broken stories meet a restoring God. ■