LYNN — Brick by brick, board by board, Iglesia Evangelica Luz y Vida members are restoring a long-vacant and more than century-old South Common Street church and one-time temple back to life.
The 160-member congregation’s labor of love and faith has stretched over eight years with members spending an average 45 weekends a year laboring inside the massive former home of Temple Anshai Sfard.
Aided by roofing and masonry contractors, they hauled 17 commercial-size dumpsters worth of debris from the 150 South Common St. building and dug down almost 18 inches in order to renovate the basement to conform to current room height and doorway dimension standards.
Much of the massive main worship hall’s brick exterior and ornate windows have been slowly restored to their former glory and the tower overlooking Lynn Common sports new copper seam covers and slate.
“Faith and relentless work is how we got it done,” said congregation construction team leader Julio C. Polonia.
Four brightly-lit classrooms and a large meeting space now fill the basement and the chapel on the building’s Huss Court side is under renovation.
“We’re hoping to move in by the end of the year,” Polonia said.
The congregation’s journey of faith and hard work dates back to 2000, when Luz y Vida was founded by a group of mostly Dominican worshippers. Congregation members held services in space inside a Bennett Street building mostly used by ERC Wiping Products, even as they looked around for a home of their own.
Polonia said Boston developer Rolando Pam approached the growing congregation in 2010 with an invitation to buy 150 South Common St. Pam bought the building in January 2010 for $75,000 — roughly one-tenth of the property’s assessed value — according to city records. The previous owner, Boston-based Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse Development Corporation (VBCDC), acquired the property 10 years earlier but did little if any work on the big building.
Small trees sprouted from its crumbling brick flanks and trash and weeds surrounded the building, prompting the city to issue $4,300 in fines to VBCDC.
Polonia recalled the cold day in 2010 when congregation members toured the church then held a meeting to discuss Pam’s offer.
“We figured it was a lot of work but we liked the building. Everyone said, ‘This is something we can do,'” he said.
Luz y Vida bought the church for $600,000, including a mortgage, and started cleaning debris out of the building. The harsh winter of 2015 drove them out of their Bennett Street space when the building’s roof collapsed and the congregation moved to worship space on Boston Street where they hold services in addition to church space in Lowell.
Polonia said congregation members tapped their talents and called on friends and relatives to undertake the massive project. Members who work as carpenters or masons during the week brought their skills to South Common Street on Saturdays. Roofers climbed high atop the church roof to fix leaks and Polonia said Plexiglass shielding installed years ago over the windows saved the glass from damage.
With an eye for detail, the congregation is saving many of the church’s architectural features, including windows featuring the Star of David, curved pews that will be refinished by a congregation member skilled in upholstery, oversized doors that would cost thousands of dollars to replace, and an ornate chandelier. An elevator is being installed in the chapel space and a drop ceiling will cover the original stamped tin ceiling.
Polonia said the biggest projects are on tap for next year when a large kitchen will be completed and the congregation will tackle the main worship hall restoration.
Luz y Vida’s vision for its worship house includes providing space for other congregations and tentative plans to lease the chapel space for community-based events. An open house is planned.
“We can’t wait to move,” Polonia said.
