Rising from ruin, St. Armands church celebrates rededication

By Dana Kampa
| 5:00 a.m. April 29, 2025

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Parishioners celebrated a momentous occasion in the history of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church on Sunday morning, recognizing all the hard work that volunteers and contractors invested in restoring the flooded church.

"This has been a long time coming," said Rev. Kenneth Blyth.

He said congregation members' reactions to the finished renovation have been "overwhelmingly positive," especially bearing in mind the state of the church after hurricanes Helene and Milton hit.

Blyth said church members got inside the church within an hour of officials reopening access to Longboat Key. What they saw devastated them.

Floodwaters wiped out the carpeted sanctuary and the gardens.

"It's been a long, long, long road," he said. "We got back into in-person worship pretty quickly, by the end of October, with bare floors, foldable metal chairs and half the drywall missing. Still, we were really blessed, especially keeping in mind other houses of worship that are really just getting back now."

The Reverend commended everyone who got involved with the cleanup, especially those who immediately set to work, getting on their hands and knees to Hoover up water. Those early efforts paved the way for contractors to begin the reconstruction.

Six months ago hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded St. Armands Circle. Today, a sense of normalcy has returned. — Six months ago, hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded St. Armands Circle. Today, a sense of normalcy has returned.

Now outfitted with tile flooring better suited to withstand floodwaters than the previous carpeting and mobile seating, the church is ready to withstand whatever nature brings.

Blyth said he's especially glad the church could host its Easter services in the gardens. Church leaders weren't certain they could finish the work in time for the holiday, but they pushed to get it done.

Congregation members participated in the rededication and a special service for the second Sunday of Easter, the morning of April 27, and in the evening, they joined an Easter hymn festival.

Organist John Behnke took to the keys for this special musical celebration, playing on the newly installed pipe organ. This was a special moment, as it was the first time a guest musician had played the instrument.

Special guests in attendance included Rev. Robert Zimmer, who became the pastor at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church in 1990, and Rev. Eric Wogen, who was installed in 2000.

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

A daily dose of news from Longboat Key, East County, Sarasota and Siesta Key.

Acting Bishop Robert Rose, Rev. Eric Wogen, Rev. Kenneth Blyth and Rev. Robert Zimmer celebrate the rededication of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church on April 27.

Organist John Behnke plays the newly installed pipe organ at a celebration of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church's rebuilding from the hurricanes.

Congregation members packed St. Armands Key Lutheran Church on April 27 as they celebrated rebuilding from the storms with a special service and hymn festival.

Bobbi Johnson, Maggie Dougherty and Chris Sturm share their appreciation for the renovation, particularly of the gardens.

Michael Bodnyk, minister of music and director of operations at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, leads the choir on Sunday.

Choir members compliment John Behnke as he plays the new pipe organ at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church for the first musical event since its installation.

The choir sang Easter-themed hymns at the first musical event at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church to feature a special guest playing the new pipe organ.

Congregation members sing along with the hymns at a special Easter-themed celebration at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church.

Acting Bishop Robert Rose, Rev. Kenneth Blyth and Minister of Music Michael Bodnyk

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.