Restoration — a Scott City church rises from the ashes

Almost two years ago, a lightning strike destroyed Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, 210 E. Outer Road in Scott City.

This Saturday, the congregation — which rebranded as Restoration Community Church, will have a building dedication at its new location, 405 E. Main St.

Pastor Bob Lenz, who arrived to pastor the church two months after the fire, said the congregation chose its new name in a way that gave God control over the outcome.

"We whittled (the name) down to seven finalists, prayed, put the names in a box and one of our board members, Leah Fisher, drew one," said Lenz, a former actor and U.S. Marine.

Pastor Bob Lenz takes a turn on a climbing wall inside the children's ministry room Monday at Restoration Community Church in Scott City.Jeff Long

Lenz's journey

Lenz, 63, and his wife, Sandy, his associate pastor, lead the church and are the congregation's only full-time staff.

Lenz grew up on a farm in Tewksbury, New Jersey, and spent nearly 14 years in the U.S. Marine Corps — five of them in Okinawa, Japan, mustering out as a first lieutenant.

He is also a former actor and Elvis Presley impersonator, having appeared on such television shows as "Growing Pains," "Married ... with Children," "Unsolved Mysteries" and the soap opera, "Santa Barbara."

Lenz credits his conversion to Christ to Kerry Leedle, a childhood friend from New Jersey who kept encouraging him to visit Skyline Wesleyan Church in LaMesa, California, near San Diego.

"She kept saying to me, 'You gotta know Jesus, Bob,'" Lenz recalled, noting he came to Christ on Jan. 29, 2003.

Ordained in 2010, Lenz — who admitted he hadn't gone to church for 34 years — served congregations in Arizona and Georgia before coming to Scott City in late summer 2019.

"I was coming to 'candidate' at the church and the district superintendent asked me if I still wanted to show up, since the building was gone," Lenz recalled.

"That didn't slow us down at all (because) I sensed God was about to do something new for the church," he said.

The congregation temporarily relocated to the Scott City School District's Visual and Performing Arts Center and Community Safe Room, later occupying a former Dollar General store, before settling in to its current location in May.

Cornerstone Wesleyan Church member Amanda Oleson hugs the Rev. Tommy Miller at the remains of the building June 22, 2019, at 210 E Outer Road in Scott City. The structure was destroyed by fire the day before and the congregation is now rebranded as Restoration Community Church.Southeast Missourian file

Facility

The $2.3 million church plant carries no debt, Lenz said, thanks to insurance proceeds from the fire.

The word "community" in the church's name is by intention.

"What someone will see when they come to worship is a community center with a church inside of it," said Lenz. He said "people need options today," adding each room in the church has media capability, with numerous charging stations for cellphones and laptops in Restoration's "Gathering Place" room.

"What I've discovered is, lives are so intertwined here in Scott City and community means everything," he said.

Inside the Gathering Place community room, pastor Bob Lenz prepares Monday for Saturday's dedication of Restoration Community Church in Scott City. Restoration's predecessor, Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, burned to the ground two years ago because of a lightning strike.Jeff Long

Priorities

Lenz, who plans to obtain his doctor of ministry degree in April, is clear about the priorities for Restoration's ministry.

"Salvations are first, then baptisms and then discipleship," he said.

"My non-negotiables are Scripture — which I will not compromise the truth of — and discipleship, the duplication of leadership," Lenz said.

Lenz, who said Restoration is drawing 50 to 70 people to worship on Sundays, has a dream.

"In three years, we want to plant a church in Cape Girardeau," he said.

An open house and dedication for Restoration Community Church will be at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Worship is held at 9:30 a.m. Sundays.