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From old pews, a brand new cross

Discarded pews, too nice for the scrap heap, find new life thanks to a church member and a woodworker.

By JARED LEONE
Published April 6, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Bill Serne] The Rev. Joe Teague leads the way March 29 as members of First United Methodist Church of Dunedin transport the oak cross, made of seven 50-year-old oak pews.

DUNEDIN - Seven 50-year-old oak pews.

The First United Methodist Church didn't need them anymore. What to do?

Church trustees tried giving them away. But other churches didn't want them. Seats are in these days. Pews are out.

They tried eBay. No bidders.

Then church trustee Doris Croasman got an idea.

"Beautiful wood like that, you don't just want to chop up and throw away," she said.

She knew that just four blocks down the street was Dunedin Woodwright. The guys at the woodworking shop had built the book racks on the backs of the church's existing pews.

So she arranged for the pews, and her idea, to go to the woodworkers.

Amid the table saws and sawdust, the jigsaws and clamps, Patrick Painter got to work.

Painter is 27, and owns the shop with his brother and father. After about 20 hours of work - no charge to the church - he finished his creation.

A cross. Ten feet tall. Six feet across. One hundred pounds.

A band of church members carried it down the four blocks of Douglas Avenue the afternoon of March 29. The Rev. Joe Teague led the procession.

The cross was mounted Wednesday on the rear wall of the sanctuary, in time for today's Good Friday service.

Church member Roberta Pearce, 82, arranged her day so she could be among the first to see it. She also joined the 20 or so who walked with the cross to the church.

"To take some junk thing and make something so wonderful, it's just marvelous," she said.

Jared Leone can be reached at 727 445-4109 or jleone@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 5, 2007, 23:41:22]