A fundraising campaign has been launched to help re-build the Walkerville Evangelical Baptist Church.
The 100-year-old church was destroyed in a fire on October 27, 2019. The damage to the building and its contents was estimated at $1 million.
Church officials are still trying to work out what the insurance company will provide but in the meantime, the church has some immediate needs.
Church fundraiser Mariam Suryawan said their first focus is the choir program.
"We've lost all of our instruments, we've lost our pews, our Bibles, our hymn books, the music we were supposed to do for our Christmas presentation, all burned," said Suryawan.
There will be a pasta dinner fundraiser at the Water's Edge Event Centre on December 14, 2019. The event will feature Christmas performances from the church choir.
Water's Edge owner Larry Horwitz has offered to cover all of the costs of the fundraiser so that all the funds raised will be given directly to the church.
The church is also looking for donations of new or used instruments to help with the music program. A Go Fund Me campaign has also been launched to raise funds.
Reverend Tom Perry says they have already had so many community members come forward to offer donations to the church.
"We've seen the common goodness of man through this horrific tragedy," said Perry.
The church is currently holding services at the Riverside Baptist Church.
Reverend Perry says the hope is to rebuild the church at the current location but they are still working with insurance adjudicators, architects, and engineers to determine what the best step forward is.
