New Jersey church's frustrating leaky roof remedied, in part, by CBS News New York Investigates
After decades of service to the community, a small Newark, New Jersey church needed a little love and care of its own.
Grace Temple Baptist Church's leaders put down thousands of dollars for a new roof, but they say just two days after its completion, the ceiling started to leak. When the leak wasn't fixed more than a year later, church leaders turned to CBS News New York Investigates to help make things right.
"It's an embarrassment to our church"
"Sixty-one years, this church has been in the heart of the city, with the city in its heart," the Rev. Keith Oden said.
In 1963, the Rev. John L. McClain founded the Grace Temple Baptist Church. After his passing, the work of the church continued uninterrupted for years until its leaders say they hit a snag after they hired a contractor to replace a worn-out roof.
"I felt like my people were taken advantage of," Oden said of the water coming down into the church. "That's why I called you. When people come in, it's an embarrassment to our church, to our community, and to our Christ."
A tarp protects the pews from the rain that trickles in. And while the leak is not stopping Deacon John Titus, who utilizes a wheelchair, the mess has made the church less accessible, for a year and a half.
"Nothing is going to keep me from the house of the Lord," said Titus, a former roofer. "Normally, I would've done the job myself. It couldn't happen, but I can advise."
The church hired a contractor
Deacon Titus helped church leaders interview multiple contractors and in June 2023 they signed a contract with contractor Home Genius Exteriors. They were to pay more than $32,000 to remove and replace shingles. At the time, Oden had just been named the new pastor.
"He asked him every question there was to ask. We gave him a hard time," Oden said of Titus.
But just two days after the roof was completed, Oden said it started to leak.
"I couldn't believe it. I said, 'We need to get that company on the line,'" Oden said.
Church leaders say the company sent multiple crews over the course of months, but they couldn't find the source of the leak.
Deacon Larry Waters claims by January 2025, the company had become less responsive.
"He had set up a date, the 13th, supposed to be here," Waters said. "But he never showed up or called. This whole episode has been going on over a year, and you know people are getting tired."
CBS News New York steps in
Investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi contacted Home Genius Exteriors to get its side. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said it had "no complaints on file."
Within a day, the company's co-founder, Austin Killian, called CBS News New York, saying, "We definitely made mistakes" and "We are going to solve this problem."
Forty-eight hours later, church leaders took cell video of the company's crews searching for the leak.
"He went up through a small crawl space," Deacon Waters said. "And he says, 'I see water. I see a trail.' He shined his spotlight where it was coming through, so we knew at that point we found the source of the leak."
Waters said the leak, coming from the steeple, was sealed as a temporary fix.
Contractor does right by the church
Senja Spelman, Home Genius Exteriors' director of TV, public relations and digital marketing, followed up, stating, "After constant communication with the church, and a series of inspections since July, we learned that the leak was not related to our work. However, we wanted to help and as such, we are covering the cost of a specialty contractor to replace their previously damaged copper spire at no charge. We remain grateful for the opportunity to serve the church and reaffirm our commitment to high-quality, long-lasting solutions."
On Tuesday, the company released a second statement, saying that portion of the roof was damaged "by a previous contractor who serviced their copper spire."
Rev. Oden disputed that statement, telling CBS News New York, there was no other contractor.
"We've never had any work done on the steeple at any point of our church's existence," said Rev. Oden.
Rev. Oden is hiring a specialty contractor to fix the steeple. Killian, Home Genius Exteriors' co-founder, has agreed to pay for this permanent fix.
CBS News New York will be following updates to this story.
