LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — It is quiet at the Greenview Alliance Church near Montoursville. More than 150 churchgoers have not been able to worship there for over a month due to issues with the roof.
"Through inspection by engineers, we found out that the trusses were breaking above us," said Steve Halstead, an associate pastor.
The issue was discovered when folks at the church noticed the chandeliers were hanging lower. Video shows several trusses in the roofing that have snapped over time. There is extensive damage across the building.
"Back in the day, churches were asked to put a fire retardant on the trusses themselves, and the fire retardant has seemed to cause an integrity issue with the wood. So, it has caused them to become brittle and just compromise the wood and trusses," added Halstead.
Churchgoers are now attending church on Fox Hollow Road, which is on the other side of Williamsport. The estimated cost of repairs is around $300,000. Outside the Greenview Alliance church are new trusses waiting to be installed. However, finding a contractor is the issue.
"With Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is making it difficult to have someone come in and put the trusses in. We have the trusses here, but just getting them installed is looking as early as mid-January for that to happen," Halstead said.
Now it's a race against time. With winter approaching, any amount of snowfall on the roof could cause it to collapse, according to engineers.
"We couldn't be in the sanctuary when the snow load is on the roof. Then a second engineer came in and after further inspection found a lot more damage than previously known, and he said he would be concerned if there was just water on the roof at this point," he said.
If you would like to help out the Greenview Alliance Church, there are several ways you can do so. You can send a check directly to the church. You can also donate to the church's GoFundMe.
There is also a fundraiser on December 17 from noon to 5 p.m. at Rich Port Adventure Company in Muncy.
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