Hurricane Wilma roared through Fort Lauderdale less than four years ago and gave many places such as Christ Lutheran Church on Oakland Park Boulevard a terrific pounding. For this small building in Oakland Park, it was a blow that would take years to clean up.

“A third of the roof, from altar to balcony, was gone,” said Pastor Ron Springer, recalling his first walk through the wreckage when calm returned.

Following the storm, Sunday services were moved to a relatively undamaged school next door. Meanwhile, about 35 volunteers spent two weekends cleaning up debris in the church.

It took the church more than five weeks to find a contractor who could give the roof a temporary patch, Springer said, and then another 22 months to settle with the insurance company.

One day last week, Joe Neble, a member of the church council, stood inside the gutted 5,000-square-foot nave and watched the workmen. A rededication of the building, accompanied by a blessing of the entrance, altar and baptismal font, is scheduled for May 2.

“We’re trying to get the word out,” Neble said. “We’d like everyone to come.”

Once renovations are complete, Springer said the inside of the church will be dramatically different, including some significant upgrades such as hurricane-impact windows.