Photo by Alan Olson The Rev. Mitchell Johnston contemplates the future of the First Church of God in McMechen Friday morning. The church was destroyed by fire June 3.

McMECHEN — First Church of God pastor the Rev. Mitchell Johnston has seen a renewed sense of community following the destruction of his church in a fire in early June.

The June 3 fire damaged the building so severely that it was razed shortly after, sending the church’s worshippers elsewhere to attend services. However, over the month of holding services at the Center McMechen Elementary School, Johnston said attendance has seen an increase.

“We’ve seen a bump of people coming,” Johnston said. “We’ve lost what used to be, so more people are attending regularly, a few new families. We’ve had people who were coming, who were never members, who are now desiring to become members of the church. It has brought us closer together, as often tragedies do. They bring out your real character, and you get to see the real side of people.”

Both within and without the church community, Johnston said that many local businesses and organizations have come together to help the worshippers in their time of need. Many local businesses, such as Happy Tails and Altmeyer Funeral Homes, have held fundraisers to support the church’s efforts, and other places, such as the various restaurants in the area, have become meeting places while a more permanent solution is found.

“It’s neat — it’s almost like seeing the New Testament over again,” Johnston said, laughing. “Wherever people hang out, let’s just go there and be the church. It’s going to strike some people on both sides. … The community has been very supportive. People who once talked about ‘the church’ now talk about ‘our church.’ And it’s very emotional, very encouraging to hear that kind of talk. It brings out the best in people, and we’re seeing that here.”

Altmeyer has set up an online crowdfunding effort at tmcfunding.com, in support of the church. Outreach Director Sarah Barickman said the church remains an important part of the community, and that they would work to support them in their time of need.

“As we all know, insurance just doesn’t always cover everything,” Barickman said. “It’s very important to us, as a local business, to do what we can to support our community, especially the First Church of God, to help them rebuild, really, for the second time.”

The First Church of God was the second building in McMechen to bear that name. The original structure burned in 1907.

The future of the church, Johnston said, is now in the hands of a building committee, which has begun talking and researching the logistics of building a new structure in the coming months.

“We’re looking at some other churches in the area that have been built recently, and we’re looking at our region, and talking to some contractors, trying to get a feel of who might be the right person,” he said. “Those are some decisions that might take a couple months.”

In the meantime, new souls trickle into the temporary setting of the church. The memories of the fire, Johnston said, are frequently unhappy ones for many.

“It’s still difficult and hard to see,” he said. “Last Sunday, we had some pictures up on the video board, looking into the sanctuary, and people cried. … They can see what they used to see every Sunday morning, and those were some difficult feelings to wrestle with.”

Despite the setbacks, Johnston added that one of the most requested services of the church, vacation bible school, is scheduled to return for its normal week beginning July 30. While the location isn’t yet set in stone — Center McMechen Elementary School may have some scheduling conflicts — Johnston is confident the program will return for the summer.

“For the last nine years, we’ve probably averaged 100 kids every one of those years,” Johnston said. “Vacation bible school’s a big thing for our community, and in fact, it’s one of the first things people were asking just after the fire — and the answer is, ‘Absolutely.'”