ELIZABETHTOWN, N.C. — Members of Elizabethtown Baptist Church are thanking God and cleaning up after a tornado April 16 demolished much of its campus in this southeastern North Carolina town.
Church volunteers had spent the day cleaning up the buildings and grounds and had left the area just 90 minutes before the tornado — one of 25 that hit North Carolina that day — struck their church. It caused extensive damage to two educational buildings and the sanctuary, destroyed a drive-through portico and bell tower and did some damage to the activities center, which will become the site of worship services for the near future.
After making emergency repairs until 1 a.m., church members gathered in the activities center on Sunday, April 17, to worship in the midst of rubble and thanked God that no one was injured. And members of Elizabethtown’s First Baptist Church — an African American congregation — joined them in a showing of unity and praise.
Chris Carroll, pastor at Elizabethtown church for just a year and a half, said the day after the storm was a “special, special time of worship” and said it was the first time the two congregations had worshipped together.
That Sunday afternoon as many as 500 volunteers swarmed the church grounds and homes nearby to clean up storm damage. Carroll, only the church’s fourth pastor in 50 years, said by Monday they had removed 600 tons of debris.
Damage is covered by insurance and the church’s agent attends the 450-member congregation, about 50 miles from Wilmington, N.C. As of April 22 Carroll said 95 percent of the work necessary to prevent further damage to the structures was complete. Structural engineers said cracks in a sanctuary wall were caused by the impact of an unknown object weighing approximately 1,000 pounds.
The tornado caused an explosion of glass inward and destroyed a piano where two pianists had been practicing Easter music 10 minutes earlier. Their cars had been parked beneath the portico, which collapsed to the ground just moments after they drove away.
“Today is victory,” Carroll said during worship the next day. “We cannot be defeated by the destruction of buildings. This will not dampen our faith or make us lose sight of our mission.”
He said the tremendous outpouring of support from churches of other denominations and from individuals and organizations from towns 50 and 60 miles away has been a true sign of unity.
Carroll said Cliff Freeman, pastor of First Baptist Church, told Elizabethtown members that his congregation loves them and is “here for you.”
Freeman said his church could have sent a message and told them of their love, but “we came to show you our love.”
On Easter, Elizabethtown members plan to attend three different sunrise services, and several evening cantatas at neighboring churches to express their own appreciation for the love and unity they were shown in their time of need.
Norman James is a freelance writer in Raleigh N.C., and former editor of the Biblical Recorder, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.