Sutton-on-Sea Methodist Church repairs to take a year
The minister of a Lincolnshire church badly damaged when it was hit by lightning has said it will be at least a year before it is fully repaired.
A bolt hit Sutton-on-Sea's Methodist Church in June setting its roof on fire and causing water and smoke damage inside the building.
Reverend Cecil Mundy said the cost of repairs would be covered by insurance but it was likely to be "a long job".
The church, on Station Road, was struck by lightning on 15 June.
Nobody was inside at the time but people nearby reported it had "sounded like a bomb going off".
Assessments are still being carried out on damage to the church but Rev Mundy said he had been warned it would be at least 12 months before repair work was finished.
He said: "When you look inside the church at the roof trusses, they're quite intricate and well made. They've all got to be repaired and perhaps reformed.
"It's not just going to be a 6x6 beam put up there - there's got to be some really good artwork done."
Rev Mundy said nearby Trusthorpe Methodist Church had agreed to accommodate its services and other churches in the area had offered the use of meeting rooms.
A community collection had also raised £500 as a "we love you gift" for the church, he added.