A Local Church Keeps Its Faith In Tact Despite Building Being Destroyed In Tornado

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Despite its entire building being destroyed, a local church in Columbus is still counting its blessings.

Members at First Pentecostal Church didn’t let Mother Nature stop them from praise and worship after a tornado demolished the building on Saturday.

Church members said even though the tornado destroyed their building, it didn’t destroy their faith.

“Everything is going to be alright, it’s just a building,” said Pastor Steve Blaylock, who’s been the pastor of the church for 23 years. “We will build again.”

This is all that is left of the church. Caution tape surrounds the debris that’s scattered everywhere and the damage that was left behind after Saturday’s tornado.

“My first reaction was just unbelief because when we turned to come down the road, we saw all of the devastation in the front and it was nothing like what I expected it to be,” said Pastor Blaylock.

Despite being shocked and taken aback from all of the destruction, the pastor said he knew he couldn’t let that stop him nor his congregation from coming together for Sunday morning service.

“When we realized Saturday night that it was going to be sunny and a pretty day, then we knew we wanted to work and salvage what we could, but we wanted to have a prayer time also for prayer service,” the pastor expressed. “Sunday was supposed to be a baptism day, so I called some of the people that were supposed to be baptized about if they wanted to wait or that we might can get a portable. They said well, if we can get a portable let’s just do it.”

That’s exactly what they did. More than one hundred members showed up for service outside in the church’s parking lot, and a total of nine people were baptized just hours after the twister hit on Saturday.

The longtime pastor said it demonstrates that their faith is stronger than any storm life may bring.

“I don’t understand all about nature, but what I do know is that God says all things work together for good to them that are called to the purpose,” said Pastor Blaylock. “It doesn’t mean that all things are going to be good, it just means that whatever bad happens, he can work that for your good.”

However, that wasn’t the only miraculous thing that happened on Sunday.

Out of everything that was destroyed, Pastor Blaylock said the only two things that were unharmed was the church’s prayer room, which contained a soldier wearing the full armor of God, and also his bible podium.

Church members said it’s a sign showing that the Lord truly does work in mysterious ways.

“The podium did not move a single inch, not a centimeter,” said Shawndel Pace, a member of First Pentecostal Church. “It is not nailed down, it is not screwed down, we have moved it many of times.”

“Some people may call it a coincidence, I think it’s God letting us know everything is going to be alright,” said Pastor Blaylock.

Pastor Blaylock said they will continue to have praise and worship service outdoors as long as the weather permits it.

He also said the church does plan to rebuild.