New Horizons Baptist Church holds first Easter service since $3.8 million renovation – Halifax | 24CA News

Following a renovation course of that expanded over the course of 4 years, the New Horizons Baptist Church held its first Easter service on Sunday since reopening.

Formerly often known as the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church due to its location on the North-End Halifax avenue, the constructing which underwent a $3.8 million growth was filled with neighborhood members in attendance to see performances from the church choir, sermons, and a baptism ceremony.

Sherrian Garcia, an attendee of the church since she arrived in Canada from Jamaica in 2012, stated though churchgoers have been supplied a brief location as renovations have been underway, it feels good to be again of their unique spot.

“We’ve been out of this space for approximately four years and four months and when we were out of the space, I really missed the fellowship with our home church,” she stated.

She stated being again on Easter Sunday makes her very pleased.

“Being here, especially on this day and to see faces we have not seen in such a long time, we can just rejoice.”

The origins of the church date again a whole lot of years. The church was initially based in 1832 with the present constructing it resides in standing for over 120 years.

Dr. Rhonda Britton, a pastor on the church, stated she’s “overjoyed” to be again holding providers at their unique constructing and described the ready course of as “nail-biting, hair pulling, and nerve-wracking”.

“We’ve had a lot of obstacles along the way and it’s amazing when you open up one of these century-old buildings what you find,” she stated.

Britton stated one of many largest surprises through the renovation course of was the invention of a buried oil tank that contaminated the soil beneath the church, which costed the church a few quarter-million {dollars} to repair.

As for Easter Sunday, Britton stated she’s very enthusiastic to welcome a congregation of about 150 members again below its newly-renovated roof.

“Having them come for the Easter services which also includes the baptism of eight people … as a pastor it means everything to me, not only to the joy of taking people down to the water of baptism, but to have the whole church as witnesses of these things,” she stated.

Britton stated she appears ahead to many extra years of serving the neighborhood by providers and different applications supplied by the church together with neighborhood dinners, anti-violence marches, anti-racism providers, and studying applications.

Sharon Johnson, a member of the church’s choir, says its not solely the bodily renovations that really feel new, however your complete environment as effectively.

“It’s like new life was breathed into it, it’s beautiful,” she stated.

The church’s growth additionally contains lecture rooms, a expertise room, kitchen, and neighborhood house.