Ringing bells and other sounds of joy will herald the return of the Main Street United Methodist Church congregation to its sanctuary Sunday following a five-month absence.

A $1.1-million restoration project has taken place in the building since September, when Pastor Myrtle Hatcher ceremonially led worshippers out of the sanctuary to make way for the project to unfold. They have held services in the atrium ever since.

“There’s not a surface in the place that hasn’t been touched, both inside and outside,” said Barbara McPhail, the congregational care coordinator at the church.

This June will mark 100 years since the 215-year-old congregation first worshiped in the building at 202 N. Main St.

“We’re preserving this for future generations,” McPhail said.

The first phase of outside repairs included repairs on the roof and replacing old mortar in joints.

The second phase of the work consisted entirely of stained-glass window repairs. The window above the altar — the only one original to the building — was disassembled, shipped to Bovard Studio in Iowa and restored. The window, which depicts Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, was reassembled about three weeks ago. Other windows were restored in place.

The acrylic that had been placed over all of the stained-glass windows about 50 years ago has been replaced with quarter-inch-thick clear plate glass, centennial committee chair George Birdsong said.

“It all turned yellow over time, so it didn’t let the light and the windows show the way they were intended,” he said. “They are much brighter now.”

In the third phase of work, the interior of the sanctuary was completely restored. Scaffolding filled the entire sanctuary to allow workers to paint every square inch of wall and to reach the ceiling to cover the panels with new cloth.

Committee members were able to walk on the scaffolding to touch the walls and ceiling, an experience they described in glowing terms.

“All those generations of prayers lifted up to the ceiling, and the music and the sounds — it was very emotional,” McPhail said.

Floors were refinished and plaster repaired. This phase also included other miscellaneous repairs, including a boiler replacement and parking lot repairs.

This week, finishing touches — including reassembling the organ — are taking place.

“We’re real pleased with the work that’s been done,” Birdsong said.

New lighting and sound systems and a projector and retractable screen also have been installed.

“We’re trying to bring things into the 21st century as best we can in a 100-year-old building,” McPhail said.

Birdsong said about $500,000 of the cost came from an endowment fund.

“The rest of it has just come in from members of the congregation,” he said.

This Sunday, the church tower bell will sound at the beginning and end of both the 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Music Director Chris Ward has arranged special music to augment the services.

“We’ve worked with the concept of renovating the facilities with joy and celebration like they did when they rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem,” Birdsong said.