FARMINGTON – Sunday’s church service went on, but it took place in a concert hall instead of a sanctuary.

A furnace malfunctioned Sunday at the Henderson Memorial Baptist Church on Academy Street, said church Moderator Jack Anderson.

After smoke and fire were coming into the boiler room, a heating service repair technician was called in to repair the problem.

A class for adults was meeting at the church, and at first it appeared that the church service was going to be there also.

But then the repairman asked for a fire extinguisher. He soon came back and asked those gathered at the church to call 9-1-1.

The church was evacuated and firefighters arrived on the scene. While parishioners waited outdoors in the cool morning weather, University of Maine at Farmington Provost Allen Berger walked by.

Retired college professor Verne Byers approached Berger, Anderson said, and the provost offered the use of the college’s Nordica Auditorium for the Sunday service.

Hymnals were transported across the street and up to a top floor for the service.

“We had a grand piano for our organist to play,” Anderson said.

Everything went well, he said.

Sunday afternoon, the memorial hymn sing was held back at the church as planned, with people dressed warmly for it.

Early Monday afternoon, there was still no heat in the church.

Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell said the main problem at the church was the boiler was dirty. The repairman put the fire out with an extinguisher, Bell said.

Firefighters cleaned the lower part of the chimney about 5 feet up so that they could see up through. There was a lot of soot and stuff built up in it, Bell said, and even some dead birds.

Firefighters also used exhaust fans to move smoke out of the boiler room, he said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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