All but defeated by a tropical cyclone, this church’s leaking roof appeared initially as a disruption to their ministry. The more eye-opening development was the church’s maintenance program which appeared to be reliant mostly on Sikaflex and a prayer.

The first thing the loss assessor noticed? The history.

Not the age of the building, per se. Rather, it was the maintenance history of the building that was hiding in plain sight: the rusted holes in the roof, the build-up of debris in gutters and excessive silicone decay where proper repair should have been.

The loss adjuster considered this a recipe for future claims, especially for a site in Queensland. They recommended the church do the necessary maintenance first to seal the roof before the insurer would pay to fix the internal storm damage.

Ministry success is usually pictured as a full church on Sabbath morning. On this occasion, success would be disguised in the mundane and ordinary: Church board meetings. Fundraising. Contractors to re-roof the entire building. A commitment to an annual maintenance program. Credit where credit is due; the church took their roof failure as a hard-earned lesson and a ministry opportunity.

What does the church’s new roof reveal now about who they are? With a roof clad in brand new, stunning Colorbond they look like a vibrant Adventist ministry that could truly serve the community, even during a cyclone.

The storm cost the church $160,000. The new roof and maintenance program has earned them something considerably more valuable – ministry resilience.

Note: specific details about the site have been intentionally removed.

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