Naschitti CRC Faces Asbestos Removal

Jerome Sandavol told worshipers last Sunday at Naschitti (N.Mex.) Christian Reformed Church that it was time for the congregation to take the next difficult step on the road to recovery.

Last August, an arsonist destroyed three buildings on the church property and caused extensive smoke damage to the current church. With the help of World Renew volunteers and church members, the church building was cleaned and repaired and reopened for services last November.

But the other three buildings — the 1920s-era former church, parsonage, and a home for the person who translated for the pastor — remain a charred ruins. Not only that — they contain asbestos, once used in insulation, that must be removed. When the insulation material breaks down, asbestos fibers can lodge in people’s lungs and, among other things, cause cancer.

Learning that they have to contend with asbestos in the ruined buildings has made it harder for the church to put the arson fires behind them.

“We’re basically numb as we think about what we’re going to do next,” said Sandoval, who is chair of the church council and is licensed to preach in Classis Red Mesa.

“As for me, I’m out of options. I have been losing a lot of sleep over this, and on Sunday I asked everyone to begin to pray and see what ideas they can come up with.”

So far, estimates to remove the asbestos have come in at more than $160,000. Even with assistance from those who have pledged to help, the cost remains out of reach for this small congregation.

But after the service on Sunday, a church member offered to get a quote for a company to remove the asbestos and the rubble and to leave it up to the church to fill in the excavated holes afterward. They are waiting now to see what the quote will be.

Meanwhile, the congregation is considering approaching their classis, Classis Red Mesa, for a loan to help out. Other churches and organizations have indicated they might be able to help as well.

Located in the rolling desert more than 40 miles north of Gallup, N.Mex., Naschitti has a population of under 400 people, most of whom are Native American. A tribal elementary school is a focal point of the community.

Considering what has happened in this community since the fire, Sandavol’s pep talk on Sunday, calling for prayer and ideas, will likely show results. While this congregation of 40 or so people has been through a lot, it has persevered. If anything, their faith that God will provide has grown during the ordeal.

“Right now we’re in limbo, but church members aren’t about to give up,” said Gary Hoeksema, a licensed preacher who has filled the pulpit on many Sundays following the fire.

On the evening of Aug. 19, 2019, the Naschitti Trading Post — the community’s main source for groceries, gasoline, and other items — went up in flames. The trading post is on the property next to the church, and it is still in ruins.

Then, on the next night someone firebombed the three old buildings on the church property. Before firefighters could extinguish the flames, the fire had engulfed and destroyed those buildings.

Then someone noticed that smoke was pouring out of the current church building. The arsonist had thrown a bottle of flammable liquid through a window and onto the chairs near the front of the sanctuary. When police and others entered the church building, they were met with a thick wall of smoke. The smoke was so thick, in fact, that it served to snuff out the fire in that building.

“After these fires, people were angry and asking, ‘Why did someone do this?’ and ‘Who was it?’” said Sandovol at the time.

The FBI is continuing to investigate the arson, but so far no arrests have been made.

As it is, the three gutted structures, just outside the front door of the church, continue to remind church members of what happened last summer as well as the efforts they have put into refurbishing their current church building.

One woman said she gets teary-eyed every time she looks at those buildings, since she lived in one of the structures. Her father was an interpreter who translated for the preacher.

Sandavol commented on how hard it has been for church members to deal with the aftermath of the arson. Even so, they keep showing up on Sundays and, he believes, will throw their support behind whatever the church council decides about removing the asbestos.

After last Sunday’s service, someone came up with another idea as well.

“Right now, we plan to hand out flyers to people in our community — not as a way to raise money but to let them know we’re still here. We haven't gone away,” said Sandavol.