Good News Report: Sanctuary Columbus Church, Columbus, OH

Seeking out these “Good News” stories from churches within the Great Lakes Conference has been such a bright light during this Coronavirus Pandemic, as they quietly remind us of the good fruit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. I cannot think of a time in which the world has desperately needed the Fruit of the Spirit more than now. Thanks to Sanctuary Columbus Church, the neighborhood they serve continues to be reminded of these fruits in plenty, through their commitment to pre-record messages, gather safely when possible by following social-distancing recommendations, continue small groups and youth ministry, provide engaging children’s curriculum to parents for home use, and even use their newly-renovated building for co-working space. Opening their doors to the community and serving free, unlimited Starbucks coffee, Sanctuary Columbus has been able to resource the community with specific needs — good news bearing good fruit, indeed!

Though one might never know by simply experiencing a worship service at Sanctuary Columbus, this now thriving congregation has had its fair share of setbacks and surprises. Weekly worship began in February of 2011, after God gave lead pastor Rich Johnson a vision “for an intentionally multiethnic church in Columbus, Ohio.”  With a lot of hard work and faithful volunteers, they were the typical “set-up, tear-down” congregation, meeting weekly in a school building.  In 2017, unforeseen circumstances suddenly forced Sanctuary Columbus to find a new location to meet. With only six weeks to find this new space, the Lord provided a warehouse through connection with a friend. 

What was intended to be a six-month transitional space of worship turned into two and a half years of Sunday evening church — at 4:45 PM — in a dark, cold warehouse. Pastor Rich Johnson reminisced of a dreary season of searching endlessly for a new space, but running into hurdle after hurdle. This uphill battle lasted until 2019, when the Lord provided a solution for not only a better space, but a church HOME.

As it turns out after years of searching physically and through prayer, the space that was offered to Sanctuary Columbus was a Free Methodist Church that had recently closed. Their leadership was looking for a congregation to use the space for free — to reach the neighborhood and serve the local community. By the Grace of God, this opportunity came from a friend of Rich Johnson’s wife, in the middle of a prayer walk that they engaged in as friends several times a week, on just another ordinary, regular day. 

The details surrounding this partnership are nothing short of miraculous. Pastor Rich said that four other churches had passed on the offer to use this space, making Sanctuary Columbus the fifth and final church. Additionally, he had inquired about the use of this space in a partnership of sorts two previous times — once being turned down because Sanctuary Columbus was not in the Free Methodist denomination and a second after a friend encouraged Pastor Rich to inquire again. “No” was a familiar word, specifically for this particular space. As God would have it, Sanctuary Columbus was offered a free lease with no strings attached. All that was expected was for them to take over the building, refresh it, pay for utilities, and exist as a church plant loving their neighborhood. After years of looking for spaces and considering mergers with ten congregations, they had been offered a space in the center of their target location, wherein they could strengthen their outreach to refugees and immigrants.

This story isn’t just about patience, but also about preparation and provision. During those “dark years in the warehouse,” the church began raising funds for a future building — not knowing when that might happen or where it would be located. A generous member of the congregation donated $10,000 and humbly challenged the church to match that in a good faith offering. Throughout Lent 2018, Sanctuary Columbus had raised $35,000 for the purpose of a future church building. Simultaneously, they prioritized regular prayer gatherings within their congregation, helping to prepare for their future so that when God prompted, they would be ready to GO. 

With the funds they had raised and the effort of dedicated church-goers who had built relationships through continuous prayer, Sanctuary Columbus was able to renovate the entire space without financing a penny. Averaging approximately 140 people in the warehouse, they were thrilled to see 170 individuals attend the first service in their newly-renovated space. By the following weekend, Christmas Eve of 2019, over 270 people showed up for service. That impressive number of attendees continued into the New Year, and they joyfully celebrated their 9 year anniversary in February of 2020. Exciting preparations to produce two services each weekend were in the works, aiming for a target date of Easter.

Though the Coronavirus Pandemic has put a halt on exciting plans, the ministry happening in and through Sanctuary Columbus is very much still flourishing. We join them in thanking God for his faithful provision, and we are reminded to pray for more love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control in our own lives — especially in “dark warehouse” seasons of uncertainty.