CHESTERVILLE – A dozen people, some upset with the national Episcopal Church’s decision to consecrate a gay bishop and bless same-sex marriages, are restoring a historic old church in the community for their worship center.

Zion Hill Community Church atop Zion Hill Road was built in 1851 and has served as a worship center for several denominations through the years, including Baptists, Congregationalists and Methodists.

Begun as the Chesterville Center Union Meeting House, the building is now an Anglican church for those disheartened by the Episcopal Church decisions.

The Rev. Lewis Glidden of Industry, a former member of a Wilton church and executive director of Clearwater Ministries, which serves Franklin County, said he and other Episcopalians were not happy about the changes made by the national church.

“I was upset because we weren’t asked. I was upset that the Episcopal Church would condone such behavior in recognizing same-sex marriages as a civil union and ordaining Gene Robinson, a homosexual, as a bishop in New Hampshire,” Glidden said.

It was devastating to the elders of the church, said Kenneth Bragg of Monmouth, a disillusioned Baptist who studies with Glidden and is also helping restore the church.

So far, there are 12 parishioners.

Glidden is not only leading the congregation but also the restoration project to restore the building to its original condition.

Cecil Wheeler’s family of Chesterville have been trustees of the church building for years. He is helping with the restoration.

“What he has done here is what people that have been here the last 70 years would be happy with,” Wheeler said.

The church still has the original white, wooden pews with dark trim.

Dark wood wainscoting runs along the walls. New burgundy drapes with large flowers grace the paned windows.

The 14-foot ceiling took 5 gallons of sealer to hide the water marks and 10 gallons of white paint to make it look new.

“I’m excited about it,” Glidden said as he stood inside the church Monday. “There’s a lot of history here.”

What looked to be a hand-carved cross made of poplar hung on the wall behind the handmade altar.

Pots of flowers sat outside waiting to be planted on the church lawn.

On Wednesday, scraping and painting was to begin on the outside of the church.

Glidden said he is happy to be there.

He climbed up to the bell tower and rang the bells 21 times to honor the late President Reagan, he said.

The repairs to the church are being made as donations are provided.

Glidden hung an original framed motto inside the vestry.

“The Standard Motto

1.Every member a Christian.

2. Every Christian a worker.

3. Every worker trained.

A workman that needeth not be ashamed.”

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