RUCKERSVILLE, Va. — For more than a century, the sanctuary of Ruckersville Baptist Church, about 20 miles north of Charlottesville, Va., stood as a mute but elegant witness to the presence of Christ. But in the very early hours of Sunday morning, Aug. 22, arsonists set it ablaze.
A neighbor, investigating why a dog kept barking, noticed the fire and called 911. According to Greene County authorities, burn patterns indicated the fire was intentionally set and two suspects have been arrested.
Pastor Kyle Clements surveys damage in the sanctuary of Ruckerville Baptist Church, burned by arsonists. (Photo by Andrew Shurtleft)
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At 2:30 a.m. Pastor Kyle Clements was awakened by a phone call from a church member, the wife of Ruckersville’s volunteer fire department chief, with the news, “Kyle, our church is on fire!”
“When I got there, about 3 o’clock, smoke was pouring from every crack in the building and firemen were sawing a hole in the roof,” the pastor recalls.
Later that morning, with smoke still rising from the burned-out sanctuary, the church met outdoors in its picnic pavilion for worship.
“I said, ‘We are going to worship!’ I knew our people wanted to. I thought the best thing for our people right then was to worship. And so we did and it was good.”
Greene County Sheriff J. Scott Haas reported that 18-year-old Sean Heiderscheidt of Barboursville, Va., and a 17-year-old Ruckersville native, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, are responsible for setting the fire. Investigators say both admitted to being at the church, but blame each other for setting the fire.
Pews salvaged from the sanctuary stand in the church’s front yard. (Photo by Andrew Shurtleft)
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“I actually was in court yesterday [Thursday, Aug. 26],” Clements said. “No one in the church knows them, so we can’t understand why they did this. From what the authorities in Greene County have told us, we were not targeted for any reason. It isn’t that they had something against Baptists or Ruckersville Baptist. It’s just random meanness.”
Although he and the Ruckersville congregation have every reason to be bitter, they are choosing to view this as an opportunity to minister in a new way to their community.
“I can’t tell you how much the community has reached to us and in turn, we have the opportunity to reach back to them. I am telling our church, ‘This is our witness, people. All this has enlarged our ministry in the community.’ ”
Clements includes the accused arsonists among those to whom they will reach out.
“I plan on visiting both these young guys,” Clement reflected. “We already have and will continue to try to reach out to their families. The mother and brother of the 18-year-old came by and said how sorry they are and we talked. They promised to be in the worship service Sunday morning.”
“The grandparents of the younger boy have custody of him,” he continued, “and the grandfather came to see me, too. When he got out of the car he was just weeping. He is broken. We are not angry — neither at him nor his grandson. We had an opportunity to talk with him quite a while yesterday evening.”
Charred sheets of music are mute testiony to the conflagration at Ruckersville. (Photo by Andrew Shurtleft)
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It is uncertain at this point whether the structure will be repaired or demolished and rebuilt. Although the walls and roof remain, the sanctuary was built in about 1906 using pier and beam construction as was common at the time. Current codes require more substantial building procedures. The church facilities consist of four connected buildings with the sanctuary being the only area burned. The others, however, received minor damage from smoke, heat and water.
The church has been overwhelmed by the kindness of community members. “A guy came by yesterday and left $1,000,” Clements reported. “I don’t even know him!”
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board also provided $1,000 as an indication of support. Other offers to help rebuild have come from other states, he said.
“The Catholic church here came and offered their facilities. They said, ‘We are finished on Sunday morning at 8:30 and we would be pleased for you to use our building after that.’”
Although Clements is grateful for every offer, he emphasizes,“I don’t know exactly what we need just yet. People are wanting to start the clean up, but from the standpoint of safety, it just isn’t possible. People want to show up with Mr. Clean and Windex, but the insurance company says it has to be professionally done.”
To those who exclaim, “This is terrible,” Clements replies, “Well, let’s just say for now that it’s hard.” He and the congregation believe that it is too early to tell whether the fire will ultimately be a bad thing.
“I keep thinking of Genesis, chapter 50,” Clements rejoins. “You know a preacher always has a Scripture. Our man, Joseph, was sold by his brothers who were too cowardly to kill him, although that’s what they wanted. Years later, when they stood before him, he said, ‘You intended it for evil, but God intended it for good.’ ”
It isn’t as elegant as it once was, perhaps, but the Ruckersville sanctuary continues to be a witness of Christ’s presence — not in a building, but in the people called Ruckersville Baptist Church.
Jim White is editor of the Religious Herald.