Local pastor feels blessed even after fire, credits firefighters for saving something significant
Two rows of stained glass windows remained intact despite all the damage elsewhere.
By Betsy Webster
Click here for updates on this story
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — From outside, the most obvious signs of damage at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church are the windows.
Two plain glass windows are broken open. The large stained glass window is broken in places, but the rest of the windows were spared and that, says the pastor, is a blessing.
The damage to Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church at 34th and Hardesty is substantial. Ceiling tiles are soaked, as are the carpets. On Friday, parishioners and hired workers shoveled out debris and tore up carpet to keep the floor below from buckling. Pastor Tommy Williams wasn’t close to buckling as he helped the crew push a piano across the floor, though.
“Whatever God permit, you take it with a smile,” he said.
One thing that kept Williams smiling was to see two rows of stained glass windows intact despite all the damage elsewhere. Williams showed up Thursday night after an alarm went off at about 8:45 p.m.
“One of the firemen told me outside, he said, ‘We tried to preserve the stained glass windows,’” Williams remarked. “Just the mere fact that they was willing to take the interest in preserving these windows. Fantastic.”
Each window has a name or names. Some include the phrase “In Memoriam.” Each one was paid for by a member of the congregation about 20 years after the church was built in 1952.
Williams was told the fire was likely electrical, starting in the basement, traveling through the floor beneath the stage and up the walls.
“Hard to see sometimes, as you can see,” Williams said as he pointed to a torn out wall, “but we know God, everything he do is for our good. And sometimes, it brings about a blessing.”
The windows weren’t the only blessing. When he arrived Friday morning, he saw tarps covering the organ and piano to protect them from water damage.
“The fire department did that. We didn’t have no plastic in here. They brought that in and covered that stuff up,” Williams said, incredulous and grateful.
They won’t be able to have services inside for a while. He’s estimating a month or two for repairs that insurance should cover. But, there is no doubt there will be services on Sunday.
“We’re debating whether we’re going to have it in the parking lot or another church,” Williams said. “We keep on plugging. Nothing stop the work of God.”
Williams said it’s not the first fire they’ve had. Back in about 2004 or so, he said, there was an arson fire. He said the man who set it came back to the church on a Sunday, admitted what he’d done and asked for forgiveness. The pastor said he seemed to have some mental health problems. He gave that forgiveness and then some. He took the man out for a steak dinner.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
