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LEESBURG - "It's been a very, very emotional, soul-searching time," said Jeff Hoffard, pastor of the Leesburg Grace Brethren Church, of the 10 months since his church building burned down.
"I do think, in spite of everything, God had a great purpose in allowing this to happen," Hoffard said.
The July 22, 1997, fire that destroyed the church was ruled arson, and the suspect in the case is scheduled to go on trial Monday.
Timothy Grevenstuk, 17, of Leesburg, is accused of starting the fire that caused a total loss of nearly $1 million to the church. He is charged with arson causing bodily injury, a Class A felony, because one firefighter was injured fighting the blaze.
"It may have been intended for evil," Hoffard said of the arson, "but we're waiting for good to come out of it."
He and his congregation have kept faith throughout the turmoil and trials they faced, Hoffard said. It has offered them the chance to grow individually and collectively in their relationships with God and with each other.
Although the congregation was left without a building, Hoffard said, they faced more important decisions than just rebuilding or selling land.
"There were lots of things to talk about," Hoffard said. "It was a good time to re-evaluate everything."
Hoffard said he and the church members have been "looking for what we should value, why we exist, and what kind of building should we build to reflect on our values."
"It is more than stained glass or spires," Hoffard said of the church. "It reflects why we exist and what we want to do. ... The building we are building should reflect that."
Since Hoffard and his congregation believe the church is the people, not the building, he said, they should not focus on the physical construction if the body of believers is not spiritual.
Hoffard said the loss of the old church and hope for the future have affected him personally in a very deep way. Not only did the loss test his leadership, he said, it also tested his love for the people in the church.
"I didn't want to go into a new future with the old me," Hoffard said. "I trust the church is saying the same thing."
He said the past 10 months was a time of "raw emotion and soul- searching for me. ... I'm tired of business as usual."
Waiting on God has been a major test for Hoffard and the church. "I'm almost always in more of a hurry than he is," Hoffard said.
Hoffard said that in modern times, a person snaps his fingers and wants things immediately. "God is never in that kind of hurry," he said. "God almost always takes his good old time to make sure it's done right."
The building committee presented a plan to the congregation last Sunday, recommending the church purchase three acres in Leesburg on which to construct a new church. The church has been meeting in the Leesburg Elementary School since the Sunday after the fire.
Hoffard said the congregation will vote this Sunday on whether they should purchase the new land and eventually sell their old lot.
When asked what he thought about Grevenstuk, Hoffard said, "I've been praying for him."
Hoffard said he was weighing the Biblical teachings, and said, "God continues to get in my face about forgiveness and justice. It's been a real learning experience."
"I hope God will be glorified with his mercy and his justice," Hoffard said of the trial. "I don't know how they work together, but they do."
When asked if Grevenstuk's trial would provide closure, Hoffard said, "Yes and no. It will as far as having the judicial aspect out of our lives, but that hasn't been a major problem with me."
He said the congregation wants to allow God to work to bring justice and closure to the people.
"And remember," Hoffard said, "He is the God of mercy and second chances."
Most of the congregation members have not made Grevenstuk or the arson the issue. Hoffard said he can't remember any conversations in which someone said "he [Grevenstuk] did wrong and we want God to get him."
The congregation did not lose members due to the fire, Hoffard said, but "some struggled more than others." After the shock and adrenaline from the fire wore off, he said, the people realized it would result in tough decisions and "a really hard job to do."
"They've hung in there," Hoffard said of his congregation. "I'm proud of them."
The fire was not the end of the church, according to Hoffard. "It hasn't closed anything; it has opened up and changed everything." And Hoffard thinks the changes, positive and negative, will continue for years.
He said the fire helped put life into perspective for him: "It is not a bad memory; it is a sober memory." And he continues to urge his congregation to channel their emotion in right direction, into honoring God, Hoffard said.
