Ever since a fire destroyed their historic church, members of Nanty Glo’s First Baptist Church continue to look towards the future with optimism.  The process to rebuild has been slow, but they aren’t forgetting where their church once stood.

On Friday to celebrate the Easter season and their church, they will hold a cross walk where members will carry a cross that was salvaged from the ruins of the church.

“It’s opened to everybody.  Anyone is welcome to join us,” says Pastor Geno Bartoletti.

This three mile walk will start at the First Baptist Church and end at the Laurel Mountain Bible Church.  The cross weighs about 40 pounds and they will take turns carrying it, one at a time.

“It will not be easy.  We’re not going to have a wheel on the bottom of it.  We’re not going to have four people carrying it at the same time.”

Pastor Bartoletti tells WTAJ even though they are temporarily not located in Nanty Glo, he wants the community to know they are still around for anyone in the area that needs help.

“Our area has been hard hit by a lot of different things, especially the drugs and everything that we have and there is hope.  We want people to know that there is hope.”

The walk will start at 4 p.m. on Friday.  They’re expecting it to take an hour.  There will be a special service following the walk.