JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Repairs to a downtown Jacksonville church that sustained thousands of dollars in damage during Hurricane Matthew are complete.
Members of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church met in the main sanctuary Sunday for the second time since repairs were made.
Church leaders told News4Jax a new year is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings and they're thankful to be back in their main sanctuary.
In October, Bethel Baptist took a major hit during Hurricane Matthew when heavy rain and wind caused the sanctuary's roof to fall on pews and drywall to crash down.
The church was told it couldn't qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance because it is located downtown.
The popular church, with 10,000 members, was forced to hold services in its old sanctuary, which is also the oldest Baptist church in Florida.
The church's New Year's Eve "Watch Night" service was the first time members got to be back in the main sanctuary for worship.
"Seeing the rain come down on the inside, even possibly getting on the instruments and stuff like that -- to see it go from what it was even before the damage to what it is now, I mean, it's an upgrade," Desmond Demps said.
Repairs were thousands of dollars and were afforded through tithes and offerings of church members.