FORT WORTH, Texas — Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth has always been beautiful and unique.
"It's a gothic cathedral sanctuary built in the 1950s," said Senior Pastor Brent Beasley.
It boasts stunning stained glass windows and a charming pipe organ, but the Fort Worth church wasn't perfect.
"Uncomfortable seats; we had cracks in the plaster that needed to be repaired; we had a sound system that had to be redone, and woodwork that had to be refinished," Beasley said.
Two years ago, the congregation decided it was time to do something. An ambitious plan to renovate the church started with the sanctuary.
"No radical departures, just a very traditional, strong and refreshing updating of everything new in this beautiful sanctuary," said one member of the congregation.
A $2 million gift from a friend of the church paid for all-new pews, new lighting, and repairs from floor to ceiling.
"Now today is our big day of opening the doors again and re-entering this sacred space." Beasley said.
Mayor Betsy Price was a part of Sunday's ribbon-cutting and re-dedication ceremony. Price praised church leaders for keeping the church downtown.
"Your commitment to the community is a great symbol of what can be done — and must be done — as we redevelop our inner cities," the mayor said.
The church provides as many as 2,000 hungry people with groceries, and distributes more than 1,000 lunches every year.
"This is kind of representative of new life and new birth in our church and in this area," Beasley said. "We've been committed to his location and this church, even when it was hard to be committed here.
Broadway Baptist Church — true to its history, and loyal to its community.
