BLOOMINGTON - People were anxious as they waited for Sunday morning worship to begin at Second Presbyterian Church. They had been gathering for services since November 2003 in the church's Fellowship Hall while their new sanctuary was under construction. Finally, on Sunday, they were going to see the results of all the work.

"I am really excited," church member Dolores Murray of Bloomington said. "I haven't really seen any of it because they are trying to keep it as a big surprise."

They gathered in Fellowship Hall of the complex at 313 N. East St. for one last service there. Then they moved in a procession into the new Grace Hall, which was built on the site of the century-old church demolished in 2004.

Congregation members said what they saw was worth the wait and what they heard in the acoustically engi-neered hall impressed some even more.

Even their interim pastor, the Rev. Roane Deckert, said the emotion evoked by his first chance to preach in the new space was almost overwhelming.

"I got a little choked up when I first came in and then I got a little choked up when the choir began to sing," Deckert said. "I have heard some reactions from different people and they are more than enthusiastic about this. I have been waiting for this day for years."

Entering the $8.5 million, 880-seat Grace Hall, worshippers passed through a reminder of the past: an arched, limestone entry flanked by pink granite columns. The architectural elements were preserved from the Roman-esque façade of the 1895 church, but the new, multimedia-equipped sanctuary was designed for the 21st century.

Inside, they saw a U-shaped space designed both for worship and music. Large, stained-glass windows, skylights and a high ceiling open up the space, which features three tiers of seating, cameras and projection screens.

"This is the first time that I've been in here and it's absolutely beautiful," said Beth Brucker of Elsworth.

Lori Walsh of Delavan, the church's director of communications, said: "I think it's absolutely great. I just can't believe it's done. There was a lot of hard work that went into all of this."

For Ruth Gabor, church elder and chairwoman of the worship and music committee, having services in the new sanctuary brought back memories of when the church choir went to Europe.

"When I first heard the choir perform, it was like I was back in Vienna," Gabor said. "I was just in chills. I am so thrilled and so appreciative of this."

In his sermon, Deckert emphasized what the church means not only to the congregation, but also for Bloomington-Normal in general.

"We made a commitment to stay downtown and to be the heart of Christ in the heart of the community," he said. "We are here to make a difference in our community and to open our doors … to those who 'seek the Lord where he may be found.'"

A service on March 11 will honor the workers who built the place, and a dedication service will be April 15.

In August 2008, a $1 million organ designed specifically for the space will be installed, Gabor said.

Kate Arthur contributed to this story.

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Milestones

Here are some of the milestones in the history of Second Presbyterian Church:

1855 - Thirty-four founding members gather on a summer day when Bloomington's population is about 2,500; the town of Normal didn't exist.

1856 - A $15,000, 90-pew church is built on land donated by David Davis; William Allin, son of Bloomington's founder; and William Flagg, a leading manufacturer.

1895 - A church is built at 313 N. East St. at a cost of $65,000. Two large stained glass windows cost $5,000. The fan-shaped sanctuary could hold 819 members at a time when the city's population was 23,286 and Normal had about 3,800 residents. The church was made of the same type of limestone from the same quarry chosen by Cornelius Vanderbilt for his home in Biltmore, N.C.

1900 - Downtown fire spares the church, causing an estimated $100 in damage.

2003 - Plans to renovate the sanctuary are abandoned when an engineering report points to major structural problems. Leaders are concerned, the sanctuary is closed and services are moved to the adjacent Fellowship Hall built in 1995 to house the congregation during work on the building. Final service is held Oct. 24.

June 2004 - Demolition of the church begins; stained glass, decorative stone and the arched facade that once faced East Street are salvaged to be used in the new sanctuary.

Spring 2005 - Construction begins on a modern, 880-seat facility with acoustics designed to equip it as a venue for community fine arts performances.

Feb. 25, 2007 - First service in the new sanctuary.

March 11, 2007 - Service in honor of the workers who built the sanctuary.

April 15, 2007 - Dedication service and tours.

Summer 2008 - Organ costing nearly $1 million to be installed.

SOURCES: "Sharing the Heart of Christ in the Heart of the Community" published by Second Presbyterian Church, 2005; Pantagraph archives

Compiled by Kate Arthur