The Christian
International Ministries Church, in Horninglow Road, Burton, was
destroyed in a fire in the early hours of the 6th November. However a
good samaritan in the guise of a Burton brewery has offered to allow
the congregation to use their building for meetings.
The
Christian International Ministries Church had undergone a £200,000
facelift since it was converted from a former bingo hall in February
2005, however it is now deemed unsafe to use and even to venture into.
The church is run by  Stephen Watson and his wife, Jenny. Mr Watson described how Burton brewer Coors had
offered them the Guildhall, in Station Street, to use for free as long
as they needed.
Mr
Watson said "It is an open-ended offer, so we can use it for as long as
we need. The remains of the church are in the process of being
demolished and the demolition team should be finished on site next
week. We
are working with insurers and architects to look at how much it would
cost to rebuild. We don't have an idea of the cost yet but we will be
able to redesign the church around the community. We are currently in
talks with East Staffordshire Borough
Council, as they may be able to provide us with office space. The
response has been overwhelming." | 