Just a few hours after the Cave City Church of Christ in Arkansas met for a gospel meeting, an EF3 tornado obliterated the congregation’s meeting place.
On that Friday night last week, visiting speaker Barry O’Dell had emphasized that “the church is not the building.”
No church members were hurt, nor were any of the their homes damaged, elder Barry Wilkes told media. But five community members suffered injuries, and Wilkes estimates at least 100 homes and business were destroyed.
The storm was part of a larger weather system that spawned tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires across the central U.S., killing at least 40 people.
The National Weather Service and local meteorologists had warned of the particularly dangerous severe weather threat.
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“A lot of people were up and ready and watching it, anticipating it,” Wilkes noted. “We had a pretty good warning, and I think that’s what helped save people.”
After the threat had passed, one of the members told the elder that their city had been hit pretty hard.
Wilkes went to check on the church building around midnight and found the storm had completely torn off the roof and much of the support structure of the 50-year-old main building.
Wilkes had worshiped there since his father helped build it in 1973.
The fellowship hall and parsonage were also damaged, likely beyond repair, Wilkes said.
But somewhat fortunately, he added, the parsonage was unoccupied after Cave City’s preacher moved away about a month ago.
“Buildings can be rebuilt, lives cannot,” Wilkes said. “And I mean, I’m sad. … It hurts because it (has) a lot of sentimental value. I got married there. My mom and dad’s funeral was there. You know, it’s been my life for 50-some-odd years. But it can be replaced.”
The church has insurance that it expects will help pay some, but not all, of the cost of rebuilding.
In the meantime, the local high school has offered the use of its facilities to the church as long as needed. Another elder, Marc Walling, is the school’s principal.
The 100-member congregation met there the following Sunday.
“It was very emotional worship,” Wilkes recalled. “There’s been a lot of tears shed. … But we’re just fortunate that we had a place to worship Sunday, and everybody’s doing real well. I think everybody’s going to come through this a lot stronger and have more faith.”
The same day, Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort delivered a shipment of supplies to the Cave City church. Amid the devastation, church members are working to serve the community.
Other communities affected
The Nashville, Tenn.-based relief organization is also sending semi-truckloads of food and basic supplies to other affected areas around the U.S.: the Bakersfield Church of Christ in Missouri, the Cleveland Church of Christ in Oklahoma, the Tylertown Church of Christ in Mississippi, the Ash Flat Church of Christ in Arkansas and the Central Church of Christ in West Plains, Mo.
The 7th and Mueller Church of Christ in Paragould, Ark., has provided food and water to community members affected, with help from Crowley’s Ridge Academy, a Christian school associated with Churches of Christ.
Members of the Arnold Church of Christ in Missouri have helped community members with clearing trees, patching roofs and grilling food after the city was hit by an EF2 tornado during the weekend storms.
The Calera Church of Christ in Alabama opened its doors to neighbors who lost their mobile homes, offering food and shelter and helping with debris cleanup. Minister Keith Jones told the Chronicle the EF1 tornado passed about 30 yards from the church building but didn’t cause any damage.
“As a community, we kind of rallied around those few folks that did need the help,” Jones said. “And, you know, thankfully, it wasn’t any worse than it was.”
This article originally appeared at The Christian Chronicle.
Calvin Cockrell is the media editor for The Christian Chronicle. He also serves as the young adults minister for the North Tuscaloosa Church of Christ in Alabama.
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One Response
About 20 years ago, a good friend of ours was pastor of a small church of about 100 in a town of 2500 residents. The building was old, the congregation was growing, so there was some talk of a building program. One Sunday he made his position clear to the congregation: “It would take an act of God for me to support a building program.” A week later, an F3 tornado struck their town. It first touched down at that church, and moments later all that remained was some broken boards and shattered glass. That building program began soon afterward.