Boston Herald

Worshiping in the rubble

Nashville church gathers after tornado

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bobbie Harris, 79, lost her rental home, her job and her church when a deadly tornado struck her community in North Nashville. But all she could think about was her blessings.

“Through it all, God is good,” Harris said.

Harris joined other members of Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday to worship just outside the ruins of the church, which has been in the community for 135 years. The roofs of their two church buildings are gone, ripped away by strong winds early Tuesday.

The church pitched a tent in the parking lot and the congregant­s gathered to sing, pray and hold hands in what the church called “worship in the rubble.” Even contractor­s who were busily trying to replace downed power lines paused and took off their hard hats as Pastor Jacques Boyd led the congregati­on in prayer on the sunny, windy morning.

The National Weather Service has said at least six tornadoes hit Tennessee during last week’s storms that killed 24 people and caused massive damage.

Harris lived only blocks away from the church, where she also worked as a cook. When the tornado hit, the powerful winds grabbed her air conditioni­ng unit and flung it into a fence across the street. Her granddaugh­ter’s car was destroyed.

“God is good. He was the conductor on that train and he went around me,” Harris said. “He saved me.”

Boyd told his congregati­on that the storm was a challenge from God and had brought everyone closer together in the recovery efforts. Behind him, bits of insulation blew around in the breeze and the wooden beams that once held up the roof of the chapel were exposed. Many of the neighborin­g homes were still without power Sunday and blue tarps covered roofs nearby. But under the tent, there were smiles as people greeted each other, danced and sung hymns.

“Nashville is now primed to show the world what we’re made of,” said Boyd, as people responded “Amen.”

The church, with a congregati­on of about 300 people, held before- and after-school care for children, had a gymnasium where kids from the neighborho­od could go, put on summer camps for children and provided computer literacy classes for its older congregant­s.

“We must trust in the savior who does not deliver us from storms, but through storms,” he told the clapping congregati­on.

Boyd said that as soon as he saw the demolished buildings, he prayed for guidance.

“I asked God, ‘What do I say in moments like this?'” Boyd said. “And God spoke clearly, as I am speaking to you now. You have to help while hurting.”

 ?? AP ?? SAYING THEIR PRAYERS: People leave a service at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Sunday, in Nashville, Tenn. The congregati­on held their service in a tent in the parking lot near the church facilities, which were heavily damaged by a tornado March 3.
AP SAYING THEIR PRAYERS: People leave a service at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Sunday, in Nashville, Tenn. The congregati­on held their service in a tent in the parking lot near the church facilities, which were heavily damaged by a tornado March 3.

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