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BY ERIK ALSGAARD
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Less than nine months ago, the congregation at Douglas Memorial UMC in Washington, D.C., faced a crisis. Its long-time pastor had departed not only the church but the denomination as well, taking most of the membership with her.

The church?s roof was badly in need of repair. The sanctuary needed a fresh coat of paint. Only 29 people remained to give the congregation a faith lift.

The conference and the congregation had a decision to make: close the doors for good or start over.

On a recent, humid June morning, the decision was obvious. Start over.

'We?re redoing the whole sanctuary,' said the Rev. Helen Fleming, standing in the middle of a dust- and scaffold-filled sanctuary as workmen painted and poured plaster. She is smiling; a broad, spirit-filled smile that seems to come from her very soul. You can tell that all this work, all this seeming chaos, energizes her.

'We?re painting, putting brand new carpet down and we?re excited about seeing the renovations,' Fleming said. 'The roof was falling down, literally falling down. The conference loaned us the money to have it repaired until we sold the parsonage. We paid back that bill, so it?s totally being refinished. And we?re just happy about what God is doing here; this whole sanctuary is going to be brand new.'

A new sound system is being installed; they didn?t have one before, Fleming noted. They are also installing a large projection screen on a wall behind the pulpit.

Officially the church?s part-time pastor only since July 1, Fleming had been appointed interim pastor at Douglas in October. She also serves as Bishop John R. Schol?s assistant for leadership development.

While professional workers occupied the dangerous heights of scaff-olding, in the basement, Volunteers in Mission took over.

More than 70 United Methodist Volunteers in Mission spent a week in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, working at several churches and locations. Fleming said that about 20 UMVIM members were at Douglas; New Life UMC in Baltimore had about eight or 10; Sharp Street UMC in Baltimore had about 16, including workers helping the Sharp Street Cemetery; and John Wesley UMC in Clarksburg had a group. 'They?re all renovating and painting,' she said.

At Douglas Memorial, the UMVIM group was downstairs. 'They?re doing a whole paint job,' said Fleming. 'They?re fixing some electrical problems, and redoing a bathroom and that?s a blessing for us. I don?t know if they?ll get to the second floor, but that?s okay; if they do the first floor, I?m happy about it.'

This UMVIM team came from Ohio. Todd Hendrix one of the youth leaders, is from Berea UMC in Berea, Ohio, just outside Cleveland.

'This is actually the tenth youth work mission that our church has done,' he said. 'We?ve brought representatives from three churches in our general area. We?re glad to be here and do some good work.'

His UMVIM team was comprised of middle and senior high students, from sixth grade on up.

'It?s a little harder to find places that will accept us, but we firmly believe that the younger we get them committed to doing mission work, the sooner they learn that doing this sort of thing is fun. We figure we?ve got them hooked for life then.'

Jennifer Thurau, 11, was working on a section of a wall in a large room underneath fellowship hall. She had paint on her nose and on her cheeks. 'I?m having some fun,' she said. 'We heard that some people needed help in churches, and I think it?s a lot more special that they need help in their churches.'

This was her third year of doing mission trips.

In a small, partially flooded room just off the large room where Thurau was painting stood Ian Vrana, 12, from Strongville, Ohio; Philip Bassani, 15, from Berea; and Jarod Eisenbrown,18, from Medina, Ohio. They were drenched with perspiration after pulling a radiator out of the ceiling.

'I think it?s just great that we?re getting to help a congregation that is mainly old and just trying to rebuild into a great church that Douglas once was,' said Bassani. 'And I think it?s awesome that we can help them on that journey of rebuilding.'

Bassani was on his first UMVIM trip. 'I would do this again in a heartbeat. Some people might not like working, but when you know it?s for a good cause, and you know the people really, really appreciate what you?re doing. The members of this church are so gracious for us coming and helping them. When you know that you are truly, truly wanted and needed, then it just drives you to do it so much better; to do a better job.'

The team stayed at Bethesda UMC during their time in the conference.

Once all the work is finished at Douglas Memorial, sometime in late August or in early September, a rededication will take place, said Fleming.

'Divine Restoration' is expected to come, too, sometime in the future, to repair the church?s kitchen. Douglas would be one of five churches this holy makeover program would tackle in the conference. Divine Restoration is a television program that airs on the VisionTV network, a cable channel based in Toronto.

Within the next two months, Fleming will be meeting with community business and political leaders for a breakfast to see how the church can fit into the community development plan being proposed for the H Street NE corridor. 'We can offer services to the whole community,' Fleming said. 'We?re in a great location, right on the corner of H and 11th Streets, right on the edge of Capitol Hill.'

The IRS donated 30 computers and some printers to the church, so that it could start a computer lab for the community.

'There are kids who need tutoring and there are older people who need it, too; elderly who want to talk to their children and they will be able to come here and get online,' said Fleming. 'When the building is complete, we?ll begin setting up all these different ministries.'

The church is trying to raise additional money to install an elevator, either through pledges or gifts. It already has $75,000 toward this project and expects to need another $75,000. 'We?ll find it,' said Fleming. 'It?ll show up.'

As Fleming returns to her office, her smile - which hasn?t departed since the tour of the church began - grows even larger. A person is waiting there to talk about more community development opportunities.

'I love to build,' said Fleming, 'economic development, community development. It?s like, ?What can we do next?? Taking a small church and watching it blossom is awesome.'