A new challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. Chartered in 1893 — worship commencing in the current building at 29955 Ridge Road in 1959 — the church’s insurance company has made an outside assess ment of the building structure, utilities and fire response. As a result, the church faces extensive upgrades and repairs to the electrical wiring, and panels must be made to keep the insurance policy. The upgrades and repairs include the replacement of five electrical panels, which includes replacing and rewiring all the circuit breakers in the panel. The church has since received estimates with the most favorable costing $18,5000. Without aid, the church would have to commit all of the financial resources it has, which would leave nothing left to cover any future unexpected building expenses. A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 7A financial challenge has surfaced at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in the city on the corner of Ridge Road and East 300th Street. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)Expand Thelma Bliss, office administrator and treasurer at the church, as well as a member and elder, recalls when the church was contacted by the insurance company in regard to the repairs to the electrical system. “My first question to them is why didn’t you tell us this before,” she said. “This is the first year we’re hearing of it and they said that the insurance company is starting to crack down on electrical stuff. When we received the quote for it to do everything that they needed us to do, it was $18,500.” The church currently has a contractor in place for the project. “Our insurance expires in February and we have until Feb. 28 to get it done…we thought,” Bliss said. “We sent all the information back to them. They gave us surveys to do on our roof and all that kind of stuff. We filled those out and we also sent the estimate back to the insurance company. Apparently, the fact that we’re trying to have it done is not good enough for them. So, right now, we’re in the process of trying to get liability insurance.” Bliss plans to discuss further with the insurance company the church has had for roughly the last 12 years. She has also received some names from various churches of insurance companies she can contact. “Hopefully, we will find something,” Bliss said. “I am going to call them again and question why we can’t get this done by Feb. 28. We can. We have a contractor. He says he can get it done, so as far as the insurance company’s concern, we have not submitted that many claims to them.” Last year, when the insurance policy was renewed, the premium was increased by 18%, a big hunk out of the church’s budget, Bliss said. “In the past year, we faced several financial challenges brought about by outside influences,” she said. “First, we were required by the city to repair sidewalks. Next, the county’s water department mandated the addition of a back flow control system to meet EPA requirements.” “In addition, our lift-chair used to transport mobility-challenged people between building levels failed state inspection and needed to be replaced,” Bliss continued. “All of these challenges have been completed and have placed a strain on the church’s financial resources.” A GoFundMe is currently set up for donations toward the electrical repairs needed. “That’s basically where we’re at right now,” Bliss said. “We want to save the church. This church has existed for 132 years.” Wickliffe Union Church was founded in 1876 and met in the schoolhouse (Stray’s Hall) for a period of two years. In 1878, the old schoolhouse was no longer needed as it was replaced by a new one on the south side of Euclid Avenue, known at that time as Wickliffe High School — later became Wickliffe Elementary School. In 1895, the congregation erected a new church on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Lloyd Road. The church was demolished and leveled to the ground in 1959. The demolition closed a chapter in history of Wickliffe Presbyterian Church. The first step toward a new church was taken when in February 1955 when a site committee was empowered to purchase a new site. After serious study of location, adequate acreage and price, a site of some four-half acres was purchased on the corner of 300th Street and Ridge Road, more centrally located and away from heavy traffic of Euclid Avenue and adequate for the needed building and parking. The church supports the local community in many ways. In addition to worship and fellowship, the church has a food pantry, thrift store, supports local shelters, provides worship for an assisted living community and supports a Boy Scouts troop. Additionally, each year, the church participates in the Hannah’s Home Baby Bottle Campaign and the Giving Tree for Christmas. In 2024, the church hosted a Dine and Discover event that was provided by The Family Resource Center of Wickliffe in Fellowship Hall. As part of aiding people with food insecurity challenges, those in need were invited to this event. At the first snowfall of the season, the hill behind the church has been the gathering place for sledding for years. “Wickliffe Presbyterian Church has and still does make a difference in the community,” Bliss said. “We joined the church — my husband, myself, my two daughters, his mother and father — in 1976 and also my sister, and her family. During some of that time, we were not coming to the church, but we came back in 1999 and have been steady since then.” For Bliss and her husband, the church is “home,” generational and deeply rooted. “After we had left for a while, when we came back, it was like this is home,” she said. “We’re all friends in the church. Any time one person needs something, all we have to do is call and somebody’s there. We have two members of this church in assisted living right now who were members when the church was on Lloyd Road way back then. People depend on us. People in the area know this church is here. We do not have a young congregation, so most of the people here have been here quite a while.” The church can be contacted at 440-585-8412 and via email at [email protected]. Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ...read more read less