Bell in historic Medina church removed

Provided photos  – The new owner of the former United Methodist Church in Medina had a crane brought in on Tuesday morning to remove the church bell.

MEDINA – The 4,500-pound bell was removed from the tower in the former Medina United Methodist Church on Tuesday morning.

The church building was recently acquired by The Church of God Pentecostal, a Hispanic congregation that has been meeting in Medina for about three years. The weight of the bell was causing some structural problems in the building, said Sergio Rosario, the church pastor.

He said the bell is about 120 years old. Some community members have offered to buy the bell, but Rosario said he and the church plan to keep it for now.

The church was built in 1876 and originally had a steeple. It toppled after a windstorm in 1889.

The congregation of about 20 to 25 people is working “little by little” to improve the building and make it a viable church for years to come, Rosario said.

The former congregation held its last service at the site, 222 West Center St., on Oct. 27, 2013. The United Methodists moved to the former Apple Grove Inn, following nearly $1 million of renovations to the former restaurant.

The United Methodists moved out of the historic church, built in 1876, due to its deteriorating condition. It sold the building, with all of its contents, as is to The Church of God Pentecostal.