When the rain started to fall in LaFollette, Tennessee, on Saturday, Steve Bruce, a preacher of Faith Way Assembly of God in LaFollette, Tennessee, was out of town, about 30 miles away. But this was no ordinary rain. Reports reaching from 5 to 8 inches of rain fell in just a few hours in the region and the small stream about 100 yards or so behind the church rapidly started to fill and run-off and then a flash flood of murky, agitating water swept down from the neighboring countryside and onto the church property.
Eight to 10 feet of muddy, debris-filled floodwater full the church in just 60 minutes, leaving the once attractively chosen church building and its fillings in muck-covered ruins. By Sunday morning, the waters had receded, Bruce had returned, and he and the churchgoers were left shocked by what the waters had ended.
“My daughter and son-in-law informed me first,” Bruce says. “My car was in the church car park, and they sent me an image, display water up to the bumper, and thought, ‘It looks like your car is going to drift away.’ I thought they were joking. The next image they sent, the water was up to the hood — I knew we were in real misfortune then.” The car was soon totally flooded and disappeared.
Bruce, 63, who has been leading the churchgoers that average 100 in attending since 2001, says the church did not have flood insurance. “I was started about 30 years ago the fellowship hall knowledgeable some minor water problems, but the new construction has not ever had any flooding — we’re not in a flooded neighborhood.”
Today, Bruce met with a TEMA (Tennessee Emergency Management Agency) official and a code enforcement officer to check, and concluded the buildings and evaluate the harm. The TEMA official discussed the rain as a “500-year” incident.
“He assessed both of our buildings were irreparable, destroyed, because of amount water that was in it over an extended period (6 to 8 hours),” Bruce says, his voice briefly cracking. “The codes enforcement officer then placarded the establishment, marking them both as prohibiting, and uninhabitable them from being engaged or used.”
In spite of the tragedy, on Sunday the congregation still assembled, meeting at the resident community college, Roane State, for service.
“We had a delightful, wonderful service,” Bruce says. “The atmosphere was occupied with the attendance of the Holy Ghost. Two people were protected, and the service was a Balm of Gilead for some heartbroken people. ., but in the appearance of the flood, we saw victory yesterday.”
Uncertain whether his car will be protected by insurance, Bruce says the most significant thing to him right now is too indisputable his congregation is comforted to and to keep them attentive on where they are going from at this point.
In adding to several calls from resident and network legislatures, offering support and prayer, Bruce says several churches have sent assistance to help with their rebuilding effort.
“We’re grateful for people eager to help us and for every donation,” he says. “We’re hopeful that TEMA or FEMA will declare this area a disaster, but we won’t know that for a while.”
For now, Bruce needs the people to pray for them and believe with them for God’s sanctification. “Pray that what the foe has intended for our problem will turn around for our good, and that, with God’s assistance, we will be back better than before.”
