Photo by Nick Fiala
Pastor Jill Walker examines one of the original paintings left behind when the structure was built as the Catholic Church in Lovington which remained open from 1915 until the late 1980s.

Pastor Sparks Reconstruction

•December 30, 2015•

By Nick Fiala
For the News Progress

With God, all things are possible. It is not only a Bible verse but the driving force behind efforts to restore a century old Lovington church.

A preservation and remodeling project is taking place at the Revival Church building in Lovington. It is spearheaded by Pastor Jill Walker, former volunteer senior pastor of the Revival Church of Lovington and Mattoon and the head of Jill Walker Ministries.

JWM repurchased the building in mid-October.

Constructed in 1915, the church was first used for worship by the Catholic Church until the late 1980s.

JWM had originally purchased the building from the Catholic Diocese in 1989. Pastor Walker preached there until May of 2010.

JWM gave away the building to a major denomination with everything in it as a gift. But last September, Pastor Walker became determined to get the building back when she found out it had been sold to a third party who planned to use it for something other than ministry.

Despite originally turning down the first offer to sell the building back, the owner reconsidered only eight days later and accepted, allowing Pastor Walker and her ministry to begin remodeling and preserving the century-old church.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.