Ceiling collapses at historic Ipswich church

IPSWICH, Mass. — The interior ceiling of a local church collapsed Friday afternoon.

Pastor Adam Randazzo at the Living Faith United Methodist Church in Ipswich tells Boston 25 News that late Friday afternoon the interior ceiling collapsed and fell into the interior of the church.

"My heart sunk and I was just praying nobody was in here," said Randazzo. "The entire ceiling let go and is sitting on all the pews and shook the foundation."

Randazzo says at the same time Thursday, the church would have been filled with people, but luckily, no one was inside when the incident happened Friday.

The church was built in the late 1700s and is the oldest church in Ipswich.

Randazzo says the church recently invested in a brand new piano and miraculously, that was the only spot inside that the ceiling did not collapse.

The Ipswich building inspector has ordered no one enter the church, which means there will not be any services for awhile.

"We're gonna worship God... no matter where we go, we're not just in a building," said Randazzo.

Thanks to other members of the faith community, the church will still be hosting it's Sunday service. The Episcopal church, just a few doors down from Living Faith United Methodist Church offered their space for this congregation's Sunday service.

Cox Media Group