Old Ohio church becomes gym with religious themes

BARBERTON, Ohio — A developer has found new life for an old church in northeast Ohio by redesigning it as a workout center.

Developer and bodybuilder Al Horvath converted a Methodist church in Barberton into a training facility he calls Faith Gym.

Horvath kept the church’s original 1892 stained-glass windows and added murals depicting such biblical characters as David and Goliath and Samson and Delilah.

He created a Superman theme for the church’s sanctuary and replaced the pews with rows of workout equipment. He donated the pews to a Kentucky church gutted by fire.

Horvath bought the building in 2005 after the former Moore Memorial United Methodist Church merged with another Methodist church and moved out. He says he’s targeting people just beginning exercise programs and experienced athletes accustomed to strenuous workouts.

Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, http://www.ohio.com