Resurrection From Ruins
The tornado hit almost seven months to the day after Wilson Creek Baptist Church had held Dedication Services for the new building. So much time and labor had been devoted by Pastor Randall Moody and the Battlefield, Missouri church in constructing the $640,000, 15,000 square-foot “dream facility.” The long and stressful building program process was a fading memory, everything was finally done, but in a moment of time it was all gone.
After crawling out of the basement from under the twisted tons of metal with the 45 folks who had tarried in fellowship that Sunday night, Moody tried to hide his own shock and dismay. He was the pastor, amidst the tears and fears of others, he had to be strong. At first the building wasn’t a priority anyway, everyone was more concerned about the safety of loved ones still potentially in the killer tornado’s murderous path. One of its victims was the woman who lived across the street from the church, struck by a tree as she tried to save her dog.
Within hours tiny Battlefield was on national and international news programs, and the scene most often displayed on the television screens of millions was the rubble that once made up the facilities of Wilson Creek Baptist Church. Still trying to come to grips with the devastation in his own heart, Moody found himself being hounded by the media. However, he knew that the potential to witness for Jesus Christ was enormous, and that was his focus with every interview.
The following Sunday network TV cameras were there as the church held services outdoors on the tornado-torn property. It looked like a war-zone, and, spiritually-speaking, it probably was. Yet, as one, the people of the church determined to survive the “weapon of mass destruction” which smote their new building without a single casualty.
The church responded to her grave trial with faith and obedience. Despite meeting at a building located 10 miles away from Battlefield through a 16-month building program not a single member was lost. Best of all, by faithfully enduring such a trial the church experienced increased spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
As far as the building goes, well, God provided twice the facility that the tornado blew apart. On Nov. 7, 2004, 16 months after the tornado, Wilson Creek Baptist Church dedicated a $1.2 million, 32,500 square-foot facility to God. It includes an auditorium which can seat 500, 13 classrooms, four offices, two Nurseries, a full-size gymnasium, four missions apartments and more amenities than most independent Baptist churches even dream about. And, if that wasn’t enough, they owe less on it than they did the former building ($270,000).
“One of the many good things God did for us with that tornado was to take away the building we needed and replace it with the one that we desired,” Moody related.
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ…” (I Peter 1:7)
