FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Inside the historic walls of Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Fort Wayne’s southeast side, you’ll find rich history and hope for a new future.
“God’s not done with this place by any means, and it’s just discovering what’s next.”
Pastor Ben Ahlersmeyer has led Bethlehem Lutheran’s congregation since 2020.
He says this grant from the Indiana Landmakers Sacred Places fund is about much more than repairs, it’s about revival.
“A neighbor can look at this place and say, even if I don’t attend worship here, I know that building is for me, and I know I can go there whenever.”
The church began as a school in 1930; they closed that part of the building in 2009.
Ahlersmeyer says the church plans to open its doors even wider, given the ample space available; he says it could be used for anything.
“I know times change and neighborhoods change and all of those things, and since that 08-09 school year when things moved. We’ve wandered a little bit, what do we do with all this space… we had so many kids in here, but what do we do now.”
Right now, they have a gymnasium space, cafeteria, and multiple classrooms. Ahlersmeyer says the goal is to make the space safe and ready to be used.
” The people at Indiana Sacred Places have been wonderful; it’s not just them writing a check to you, it’s them walking alongside you.”
Bethlehem Lutheran hopes this grant will do more than fix a roof, but rather restore hope and bring history for generations to come.
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