- Hope grows from Haiti’s ruins
- Haiti Day of Prayer video released
- Bobby Bowden in Tampa for Super Sunday
- Church compensation survey now online
- Philippians 3:2-15; 4:8: February 14- What will it take to change your mind?
- Mark 13:9-13, 21-27, 32-37: February 14 - Preparing for the future
- Lauren Dungy says children supportive of 'Coach,' but grateful for 'full-time dad'
- Michael Oher talks football, 'Blind Side'
- Pastor proud of Garçon's relief efforts
- SUPER BOWL: Even with Dungy gone, faith still the foundation for Colts' coaches
- Latest Stories...
RSS News Feed (What is it?)
BARBARA DENMAN
Florida Baptist Convention
 |
 |
| John Hill, pastor, Graham Baptist Church in Miami, stands near what used to be the church’s sanctuary. It was totally destroyed by Hurricane Wilma. FBC Photo by Ken Touchton |
JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—The number of Florida Baptist churches severely or moderately damaged by Hurricane Wilma rose to 35 with another 13 churches reporting light to minimal damage by press time, Oct. 31.
 |
| Click on image for related coverage |
At least two Baptist churches reportedly were destroyed in Florida, both on Florida’s east coast where damage was worse than expected as Wilma exited the peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean.
The destruction at Westside Baptist Church in Boynton Beach was total, according to director of missions John Brackin, Palm Lake Baptist Association. [See related story on this page].
The sanctuary of Graham Baptist Church in Miami was destroyed. The 150-member congregation had considered building a new structure for a number of years, said John Hill, the church’s pastor of 16 years. Now they are left with no alternative, he added.
But Hill will not be there to see the new structure. Prior to the storm he had announced his resignation and plan to start a new church in Griffin, Ga. Sunday, Oct. 30, was to be his last day.
“We have already selected our new man,” Hill said. “I told him I wanted to leave him with a clean slate, but I didn’t mean this clean.”
 |
| Wayside—Part of the cavernous roof covering at Wayside Baptist Church in Miami was torn off by over 100 m.p.h. winds spawned by Hurricane Wilma Oct. 24. Though the church roof was damaged and water leaked inside, a maintenance man said Wilma was not at all as ferocious as Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which tore a huge, gaping hole in the roof. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan |
Wayside Baptist Church in Miami, which was left with a huge gaping hole after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, was again pummeled when Wilma seriously damaged the sanctuary roof.
Wayside’s senior pastor, Gary Johnson told Florida Baptist Witness Oct. 31 the church was still without power.
On Sunday, Oct. 30, Johnson said 500 people sat in chairs in front of portable stages outside and sang accompanied by guitars. As their pastor preached, a generator powering the sound system hummed along.
Kevin Parker, the minister of adult education at Wayside Baptist told the Witness he sat with his family Oct. 24 as the power went off due to Hurricane Wilma.
Parker lives in a parsonage adjoining Wayside with his wife, Michelle, and three sons, Daniel, 5, Luke, 3, and Nathan 6 months. The family listened to a battery-operated radio and waited as the storm quickly blew over, Parker said.
When Parker went outside to check for damage, he said ranches and debris littered the church property. He was still removing the brush Oct. 28. The high winds blew off shingles on all the church buildings, but the church sanctuary suffered from the most roof damage.
John Beck, Wayside’s maintenance supervisor, said 65-75 percent of the sanctuary’s shingles had blown off, allowing water to seep through to the ceiling. Beck and Parker said they felt fortunate the damage was not as extreme as when Hurricane Andrew tore apart the sanctuary in 1992.
“We got some tree damage, some roof damage, but as long as no one’s hurt, we’re okay,” Beck said. “We rebuilt it before and we can do it again.”
Many other South Florida churches saw mostly roof damage, but repairs were often quickly underway with the help of faithful members who readily patched roofs and cleared debris.
 |
| Members of Iglesia Bautista Westland in Hialeah pitched in to clean up and prepare their church for Sunday worship after Hurricane Wilma spread debris and damaged the roof. FBC photo by Ken Touchton |
Iglesia Bautista Westland in Hialeah suffered structural and property damage, but maintained electricity, even as more than 75 percent of its members and the surrounding community were left to struggle in the dark.
The church, which had already been damaged when Hurricane Katrina came though in August, now suffered more than $33,000 worth of roof damage after Hurricane Wilma, said Mirian Lopez, the church pastor’s wife.
Westland members were quick to join efforts and prepare their church for Sunday worship services. Pedro Jordan was one of the 20-plus people cleaning Westland’s site, putting trees back in the ground and clearing branches Oct. 29.
Throughout the week, Jordan and his wife, who were included in the millions of people without power, stored their food in the church’s freezer and sometimes joined community families who used Westland’s kitchen to cook meals.
“I think God kept the electricity on in this place so that our church could provide a public service to this community,” Jordan said. “Our job as members is to work and help the church in any way so the church can then help the community.”
Two Florida Key churches have reported destruction, said Sonny Pritchett, director of missions for the Florida Keys. First Baptist of Big Coppitt was flooded. Sugar Loaf on Summerland Key experienced steeple and water damage.
West Hollywood Baptist Church lost an old sanctuary in the storm. The Independent Baptist congregation was expected to be voted into the Gulf Stream Baptist Association during its annual meeting postponed from Oct. 23.
[With reporting by Eva Wolever, Florida Baptist Witness newswriter]
You must be login before you can leave a comment. Click here to Register if you are a new user.