A Wilson County church family gathered in a different venue than usual on Sunday, unwavering in their faith.
Spring Hill Presbyterian Church members held a service in the fellowship hall days after the church burned down following a lightning strike. A neighbor said a bolt of lightning hit the steeple, which eventually fell. No one was hurt.
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The massive fire didn’t stop this congregation from still having its regular Sunday Service in Lucama.
"There’s been a lot of hurt in the congregation and in the community with our loss, but there’s also a lot of hope it has caused or come about," said John Bailey.
"I think just our sense of community and being together is a special time that we really need to be with each other and celebrate who we are at church and not just the misery that we are all dealing with," said church member Michael Moore.
Betsy Lamm said the church family is resilient and holding onto as many memories as possible after the setback.
"I think we’ll get through it, but I don’t think we’ll ever get over it," Lamm said.
On Thursday, some members came to the church to salvage as much furniture as they could as multiple fire departments responded.
Paintings and a bible from the altar were salvaged from the destruction. It served as a sign to many to keep relying on their foundation of faith.
The building has been declared a total loss. Church leaders said the next steps include preparing for the demolition process, preserving anything they can and then beginning to rebuild the church.