After an arsonist destroyed Seattle’s popular Green Bean coffeehouse on October 23, it reopened in a new temporary location at the end of November.
The Green Bean is run by Sanctuary Christian Reformed Church in Seattle and is supported by Christian Reformed Home Missions (see Banner, Nov. 2009). It has a temporary spot in another coffee business, where it will remain for six months.
Meanwhile, Rev. Randy Rowland, pastor of Sanctuary CRC, said he and other Green Bean staff have planned a visit to the incarcerated arsonist, who has admitted to setting the fire. The suspect has also claimed to have started some of the 68 fires set around the area in the past two years. “We will go to jail to visit him, and ask him how we can pray for him,” Rowland said.
The church’s meeting place was also heavily damaged in the fire, but worship has been continued in a nearby space.
Over the next six months, Rowland and a six-person taskforce will be evaluating permanent sites, including other coffeehouse spaces, and will be looking at resources required for the possible purchase of a new space.
About the Author
Ben Van Houten is a senior writer for Christian Reformed Home Missions.
