A deer crashed through a longtime Flowery Branch church’s window, leading to thousands of dollars in repairs so far.

Flowery Branch United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Tyler Flowers said it happened around 6:30 p.m. March 26. 

From his understanding of what happened, some deer were across the street from the Spring Street church.

A working theory is that a passing train may have caused a dog to start barking, leading to the deer running across and into the window.

Though the sanctuary was spared, a bloody trail ran through the corridors and in a handful of rooms.

“It was a mess,” Flowers said.

Flowers said the church contacted a company to take up the carpet in four rooms. The senior pastor estimated roughly $9,000 in repairs. 

The deer was put down, Flowers said.

Thankfully, a group that usually meets in the fellowship hall around that time had adjourned.

Though they haven’t always been in the Spring Street building, the church’s congregation have been worshiping for roughly 160 years.

Even before this deer incident, the church was in the process of a handful of building projects.

The biggest item is the church’s stained-glass windows, which Flowers estimated are six months to a year from “falling down.”

“Financially, we’re not terrible, but at the same time, these things add up,” Flowers said.

Walking through the sanctuary, Flowers said a bird got into the room roughly a month ago. The pastor is unsure why animals keep seeking sanctuary.

Flowers said the stained-glass windows need to be reset and reframed, which could cost roughly $20,000.

Beyond the windows, Flowers said they are also looking to replace the lighting and flooring in certain areas of the church.

“Our roof is going to need to be replaced in the near future, so there’s some big projects coming,” Flowers said.

April 30 will be Flowers’ last Sunday before moving to another church in Milledgeville as part of the denomination’s itinerancy, where pastors occasionally move to other churches.

“I’m sad to leave, excited to go,” Flowers said. “(I) just want them to be in good shape.”