BILLINGS — The Billings community is stepping up to support a historic South Side church after three stained-glass windows were vandalized last month.
Watch how the Billings community is assisting a historic church after vandalism:
Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 402 S. 25th St., has stood in the neighborhood for nearly 130 years. Since its establishment in 1897, the church has served as a gathering place, a support system and, according to its pastor, a symbol of hope.
“Wayman has always been a place that has served the community,” said Pastor Simon Bergen. "We're feeding people, we're clothing people, we're helping people with their bills and utilities ... We're always here to just help and serve in whatever capacity we can."
Bergen has been the pastor for nine years and a member of the church for more than 25 years. He said that while attendance has declined over time, especially after COVID, the church still serves as a place of safety for many. Much of its long history is reflected in its stained-glass windows, many of which were dedicated to past pastors, community leaders, and founding families.
"It still remains a beacon of hope on the South Side,” said Bergen. “The windows that we do have still up, they all tell a story. They still tell a story about those that have come before us.”
Three of those windows now remain boarded up. On the night of Oct. 13, Bergen received a call from police alerting him that someone had smashed several windows.
"The night it happened, actually, I was in bed. It was my birthday," said Bergen. “I get here, and its glass is all over the place, all three windows are busted out. Police are outside still. There's a mess in the church, there's a mess downstairs.”
Police arrested a suspect and asked whether Bergen wanted to press charges. After discussions with church members and time to reflect, Bergen said the decision became clear. They did not believe the vandalism was targeted or motivated by hate, but rather connected to someone struggling with mental health.
"After allowing my emotions to calm down and to pray, it didn't sit well with me to press charges,” said Bergen. "One of the members said, 'Well, pastor, based on what we do here, what we preach about, do we really think we need to press charges against them?' It was easy from that point on.”
While Sunday services have continued, the damage created concerns as colder temperatures approached, but also came with a high price. Estimates to replace each window range from $3,000 to $6,000, and for a small congregation, the cost seemed overwhelming.
“We lost some windows that told a story, and what we don't want to do is we don't want to lose a church that tells an even bigger story," said Bergen.
That changed when the Billings Gazette first reported the damage, and within days, messages began pouring into the church's Facebook.
“Yes, it's overwhelming to some degree," said Bergen. "But at the same time, it's answered prayers also.”
One of those responses was from Susan Kennedy Sommerfeld, owner of Kennedy’s Stained Glass. Sommerfeld has operated her Billings studio for 43 years and has created stained-glass pieces for churches across the state, including one done several years ago for Wayman Chapel.
“The first thing I thought of was, 'I got to help out,'" said Sommerfeld. "I just feel like I need to do what I can to make it comfortable again and to help them to move forward.”
Because of her personal connection to the church, Sommerfeld offered to repair the damaged windows, entirely free of charge.
"I think it needs to be done regardless, and I'm willing to do that. It's what I do. It's how I can contribute," said Sommerfeld.
She also hopes the fixes will help address the current condition of the window frames and add exterior protection to help preserve them for decades.
“Building some of these larger church windows is definitely labor-intensive, and so it doesn't happen just like that. It really does take quite a while," said Sommerfeld. "It doesn't happen overnight, which gives us an opportunity to do it the right way."
Other stained-glass professionals, including Grizzly Glass and Pella Window and Door, also reached out to the church with offers to help.
Just as the church has given back to the community for many years, now the community is giving back to them. For Bergen, the support from artists, neighbors, and strangers has given the church new energy as it works toward restoration.
As the long road ahead for work begins, the windows and hope are being pieced back together at the Wayman Chapel.
“We're faced with some dark situations, and we're still hanging on the hope," said Bergen. "Hopefully, when it's all said and done, we'll be in a better place than we were before we started.”
Bergen has created a GoFundMe to help with remaining costs. Community members can also reach out to the church's group on Facebook for information on how to assist.
