New London Church, Challenged By Collapse, Announces New Home

NEW LONDON, CT — Engaging Heaven Church will open a new location next month. The move comes 10 months after their downtown church collapsed.

Pastor James Levesque made the announcement in a video, saying that the new church will open Oct. 13 with a grand opening and service.

"We knew that God was moving on our behalf," Levesque said in the video.

He said that about six months after the collapse, he got a call from a friend who's a vice president of a bank. His friend offered a new home for the church for $1, the Second Congregational Church at 45 Broad St.

Levesque said it was "one of the most exciting miracles" to move to the new home.

Engaging Heaven Church was at 66 Union St., which collapsed in January. However, church leaders at the time vowed to continue despite challenges.

The building was the First Congregational Church, which dates back to the 1600s, according to its website. The current church was constructed in 1851 by Leopold Eidlitz.

The remaining parts of the building were demolished following the collapse.

New London Mayor Michael Passero told Connecticut Public Radio that the church was "one of the oldest and certainly one of the most gorgeous religious structures in the city.”

See related: Church Vows To Continue After Their Home Collapses In New London