Although two groups were meeting in the building, after grabbing purses, choir robes and folders, all the members escaped safely.
The sanctuary, rebuilt in 1863 after a previous fire, did not fare so well. Flames quickly spread in the loft above the Federal style ceiling, and the desiccated Civil War-era timbers ignited with a fury. By next morning the painted glass windows were broken, the organ ruined, the pews damaged, many of the handmade cross-stitch cushions (lovingly created over a period of many years) were gone, and the ceiling had collapsed. All that remained was the bell tower and the four walls.
Most church officers can imagine how the members of the congregation must have felt. When my wife and I looked at the photos we were overwhelmed with immense sadness. Beyond the ruined sanctuary and choir loft, we thought of all the people we had greeted in that special space, the families who had grieved during funerals, the joyous moments of baptisms and weddings, and the wonderful smiles on the faces of confirmands.
Nevertheless, the church is not standing still, and it will not allow itself to be beaten by setbacks. Presbyterians are strong and under the prayerful guidance and the excellent administrative leadership of the two pastors (Bruce Boak and Carrie Mitchell), the determination of the session and trustees, and the expertise of other members who understand reconstruction and finance, the congregation is quickly rebounding from the tragedy. After the devastation, they began meeting together in the Cultural Arts Center of nearby Nazareth College, the members still thanking God that no one was injured, and they expressed their determination to work together as they rebuild their worship center and continue their ministry on a local, national, and international level with barely a missed step. Shortly after the fire, 16 adults and young people were installed to go on a two-week mission trip to help rebuild a church camp and work in a medical mission in Peru; later forty other members signed up for an interfaith Habitat for Humanity project.
As church officers think about this situation and others like it in other parts of the country they will no doubt include the leaders and members of the affected congregations in their prayers for many months to come. It also raises a checklist of questions for all of us to consider.
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Are our church buildings adequately insured?
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When was the last time our policies were thoroughly reviewed?
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Are our steeples and sanctuaries protected by lightning rods and sprinkler systems?
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Are smoke detectors installed in all meeting areas so that people have enough time to exit safely in an emergency?
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Are all exits clearly marked and are graphic maps of exit routes prominently displayed in all rooms?
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Have you recently met with the local fire marshal to make sure that your buildings are up to code? When was the last time your fire extinguishers were inspected?
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Do you have flammable containers stored in unsafe locations anywhere in your plant?
In addition to these obvious lessons that we all learn from tragedy is one even more important and critical. As many of the members of the church in Pittsford expressed it, when lightning strikes you realize more than ever before that the church is not a building but is people united in love. As much as we revere our sanctuaries and the buildings in which we study and meet, the church really is the Body of Christ, men, women, and children committed to serve Jesus Christ, whether they meet in a suburb of Rochester, N.Y. or sit together every Sunday under a tree in Mozambique.
EARL JOHNSON JR. was the senior pastor of First Church, Pittsford from 1989-1998.
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