Earth Day: A Green Victory

Path Of Destruction Leads To Climate Win At Messiah Church

Story and photo by Cara DeGette

Editor, GPHN

Here is a story about how Messiah Community Church turned a tragedy into a green victory.

Late last August, on a Sunday night, thieves broke into the church, at 18th and Colorado Boulevard. They broke through an outside door, and then broke through an office door.

“Our hypothesis is this particular group of folks felt breaking in on a Sunday eventing would be the best time, as they might find offerings from earlier in the day,” said Sue Edwards, the president of the church council.

Failing to find any cash, the thieves instead grabbed a laptop. They rummaged through cabinets and stole a sound system belonging to a group that uses space in the church. They found a big old safe that had not been used for so long no one in the church remembered its combination. They lugged the safe into the sanctuary, hauled it up onto a chair, and somehow got it open. They might have found a few old coins, but nothing even close to worth the trouble. “That was one of the few things that made me laugh,” Edwards said.    

Then the thieves got busy in the basement. Using tools they brought, they started sawing through pipes to steal the copper that feeds the boiler. In the process they cut through a water pipe, flooding the basement. Then they cut into a natural gas pipe. “They were smart enough to leave at that point,” Edwards said.

The next morning, a parents group that meets at the church came into the building, smelled the gas and saw the vandalism. It was a miracle the gas hadn’t caused an explosion. But the thieves, who were never caught, left a path of devastation that cost at least $300,000 — not an insignificant sum for a small congregation. With winter approaching, the church had to bring in an outside source of heat until a new system could be installed — which was also a big expense. They’ve also spent money for better security. “It was just a mess,” said Sherrill Morris, a member of the church council.

This is where the fortunes turned. The main focus of Messiah’s ministry and vision is a deep shade of green — that is, a commitment to the environment and being good stewards of the earth. The new boiler system reduces the church’s carbon footprint by a whopping 90 percent.

”The old boiler was put in in 1949, which by the way is the same year I was born,” said Edwards. “The new boiler is significantly more efficient — Hallelujah!

“It’s serendipitous in a way, to take what was truly a horrible situation and at least make some good stuff from it. Without the robbery, who knows how long it would have been before we got a new boiler? We’ve been able to take this step to live out our mission, and that’s a gift to all of us.”