Bellmead church battling mold problem

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Bellmead church battling mold problem

By TERRI JO RYAN Tribune-Herald staff writer

Some walls will come tumbling down this week at Bellmead First Baptist

Church - moldy walls in a two-story multipurpose building that had to be

abandoned in late November after mold spread throughout the structure,

exposing the congregation to potential health problems.

Church leaders believe the mold erupted after a major water leak last fall,

said Eddie on, the church's minister of music. He's been placed in

charge of the recovery project by pastor Bruce Austin.

A pipe that apparently burst under the building sometime in September was

not discovered until a month later, when the water bill jumped from $300 to

$2,500, on said. A perfect environment for rapid mold growth, the

moistened masonry and other materials began to affect members, many of whom

complained of watery eyes, stinging noses, shortness of breath and headaches

from the bad odor, he said.

Testing determined that the majority of the first floor and parts of the

second were infested with mold, he said, and it was in the walls and ceiling

near the nursery in another building. After a thorough survey of the rest of

the property, the cleanup firm determined that the sanctuary was not

affected, on said.

The $800,000 multipurpose building, which was built in the early 1950s and

renovated for $26,000 last year, now stands vacant, on said. It

contains the kitchen, fellowship hall, library, chapel and classrooms - all

off-limits until the majority of the first floor is gutted by ARC Abatement

Inc., he said.

All of the portable property, such as desks, tables and chairs, have been

removed, treated and now sit in storage in the church's gym, on said.

If it weren't for the availability of the gym, the church would have to pay

rent to store the cleaned goods with the bio-remediation firm.

The materials to be ripped out this week by ARC will be bagged and taken to

a landfill, on said.

" We have had to make some temporary classroom changes, " he said. Some of the

bigger classrooms in the other education building not affected by the mold

have been converted into small rooms for the children's classes. A men's

Bible class has to meet in the choir room, for example, and the women's

class meets in the bride's room.

Couples who had reservations to use the social hall and kitchen have been

given notice that they are not available now, on said.

Ernesto , pastor of El Buen Pastor Missionary Baptist Church, which

used the church's chapel in the multipurpose wing, said his flock has been

moved to the second floor of the remaining education building and put into a

classroom. The ministry, which will mark its second anniversary on May 1,

has 32 members, including almost 20 in Sunday school.

The classroom they are in accommodates up to 50, said. But putting

El Buen Pastor on the second floor means that some elderly members in the

missionary congregation have been unable to attend classes because they are

unable to climb the stairs to get to them. said some are able to

climb with the help of more able-bodied members.

" We've just had to adapt to it, " he said. " First Baptist has been very

supportive and helpful in every way. "

According to the Centers for Disease Control, mold exposure has not been

" definitively linked " to any illnesses, but common reactions include lung

problems and memory loss. People with compromised immune systems seem to be

at a higher risk for contracting an infection, the CDC says. In addition,

allergic symptoms and difficulty breathing are other common reactions to

mold.

A further complication is that the abatement company also discovered the

building contains asbestos, which must be removed before the mold cleanup is

completed. The estimated bill is about $200,000.

" The members of the church have taken all of this in stride and have made

some sacrifices to make good out of a bad situation, " on said. While

not naming an exact timeline for re-entry and reuse of the building, he

estimated it will be 12 to 18 months before the church can raise the money,

pay for the removal process and move back in.

Terri Jo can be reached at tjryan@... or at 757-5746.