DELTAVILLE, Va. — Six months ago yellow caution tape and small red signs reading “Condemned” and “Dangerous and unsafe” were affixed to the doors of Zoar Baptist Church in Deltaville, Va.
A tornado that passed through the town on the afternoon of April 16 destroyed the church’s 53-year-old brick sanctuary and damaged its education wing and fellowship hall.
The April 16 tornado cut through the sanctuary of Zoar Baptist Church and toppled its sign.
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With winds up to 130 miles per hour, the twister tossed the church steeple into the parking lot and cut a gash through the sanctuary leaving only the front and back walls standing.
The large stone sign in front of the church was toppled. A hymnal from the sanctuary was found days later in Reedville, Va. — 40 miles up the Chesapeake Bay.
Worship was cancelled the next day, Palm Sunday. A small group gathered at Philippi Christian Church at 3 p.m. for prayer, said John Snow, pastor of Zoar.
At this time many residents had not been allowed back in town due to downed trees and power lines. By Monday cars were slowly passing the church surveying the damage as clean-up began.
At daybreak on Easter Sunday each year four local churches participate in a service held at Zoar’s beach property at Stingray Point, where the Rappahannock River meets the Chesapeake Bay. In 2011 several other churches in Middlesex County cancelled sunrise services to gather there for worship in a show of support for Zoar Baptist and others in the Deltaville community affected by the tornado.
Zoar’s sanctuary has now been demolished and the site cleared in preparation for groundbreaking and construction in the months ahead.
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At 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday Zoar held its first worship service following the tornado at the beach.
Yet with both buildings condemned, the congregation had to quickly pick up the pieces and make adjustments to continue ministry, Snow says. Demolition of the sanctuary and a temporary wall between the two structures was needed before it was safe for the educational wing and fellowship hall to be checked for damage.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, Zoar has an early contemporary worship service held at the beach, so the church council made the decision to hold one Sunday service at the beach until the congregation could return to its building.
Members of Zoar Baptist Church gather at beachfront property on the Rappahannock River for worship following the storm.
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If it rained, the service would be moved to the Deltaville Rescue Squad building. Rain forced the relocation of worship only three times — one of those due to Hurricane Irene.
Snow says offers of assistance and meeting space from churches of all denominations and from community organizations were abundant. Choir rehearsal was moved to nearby Philippi Christian Church. An Alcoholics Anonymous group moved its regular meetings to the Masonic Lodge. The church’s counting team tallied weekly offerings at the Deltaville Rescue Squad building.
A room at the Middle Peninsula Insurance building was offered for the church office. Until mid-September Snow and the church secretary shared this space and his desk was a folding table. Zoar Baptist was scheduled to host the community Vacation Bible School in 2011; and while its leaders planned and led VBS, the location was moved to Philippi Christian Church.
Two weddings already scheduled were held at new locations: one at a sister church and another at the beach.
As news of the tornado and destruction of the church’s sanctuary spread, Snow says donations began arriving from churches across Virginia and the United States.
A church in Maine sent a check to help with Zoar’s rebuilding. A congregation in San Diego, which experienced a similar situation when its sanctuary was destroyed by a wild fire, made a donation from the remainder of its building fund. Several churches, including Emmaus Baptist Church in Quinton, Va., decided to give Vacation Bible School offerings to the rebuilding effort.
A pair of benefit concerts raised more than $8,000. Shane Cooley, a singer/songwriter from the Northern Neck, contacted Zoar and offered his music. This concert was held at the Deltaville ballpark and another took place in Williamsburg, Va., with several groups performing to benefit tornado victims.
Snow admits one of the greatest blessings the congregation has witnessed has been the overwhelming response from others. He’s also seen people who might otherwise be reluctant to change be willing to do things differently.
Progress on the rebuilding began with the election of a reconstruction team that handled plans for the demolition of the sanctuary and restoration of the education wing and fellowship hall. Sunday, Sept. 18, was a joyous day as the congregation held its first worship in its fellowship hall following the tornado.
While Snow admits that members have done remarkable well, one challenge for him as pastor is keeping people informed. Extra meetings have been scheduled to keep everyone abreast of what and when things are being done and why.
“Right now we have more questions than answers,” he says, “but with as much love and grace as we can muster we will eventually work our way through each and every issue.”
The reconstruction team is interviewing architects as the next step is rebuilding the sanctuary.
Groundbreaking may take place on Palm or Easter Sunday of next year, he says. And while it’s too early to set a completion date, Snow feels an estimate might be 12 to 18 months.
In the meantime the congregation keeps moving forward. Members arrived on Sunday, Oct. 2 with plastic bags loaded with food donations for the Cryer Center in Deltaville. A deacon was ordained and a new men’s Bible study was scheduled to begin on Thursday morning.
And the coming months will definitely include business meetings to keep everyone informed on the next step. But nature’s fury on an April afternoon is only a temporary setback for God’s people at Zoar Baptist Church.
Barbara Francis ([email protected]) is a staff writer for the Religious Herald.