Church leveled twice by twisters is rebuilt

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Church trustee Leslie Williams stands inside the sanctuary of Lakeview United Methodist Church and talks about the journey of rebuilding the Tanner church destroyed April 27, 2011, by an EF5 tornado. News Courier/Rebecca Croomes
This aerial photo was taken the morning of April 28, 2011, after an EF twister swept Lakeview Methodist Church from its foundation on Bridgeforth Road in Tanner. The church was also leveled by an F5 twister on April 3, 1974, and rebuilt. Photo courtesy of Athens Fire Department
On July 15, Lakeview United Methodist Church parishioners attended the first official service in the new facility. News Courier/Rebecca Croomes

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August 2, 2012

Church leveled twice by twisters is rebuilt

By Lora Scripps lora@athensnews-courier.com The News Courier Thu Aug 02, 2012, 02:00 AM CDT

— Tanner’s Lakeview United Methodist Church trustee Leslie Williams can remember April 27, 2011, like it was yesterday.

An Athens firefighter by trade, Leslie was working when an EF5 tornado struck the county, leaving behind a path of destruction. He was called to work on storm recovery Wednesday afternoon and didn’t make it home until Friday morning.

“It was kind of strange,” he said. “My son called the day of the storms and said, ‘Dad I have got bad news, the church has been hit by the storm.’”

Leslie thought the church might have lost a room or a portion of the roof. He was mistaken.

The church was destroyed.

Retired Fire Chief Danny Southard, who surveyed the area by helicopter, showed Leslie aerial photos of the tornado’s path.

“It was amazing how much damage had been done,” Leslie said.

Church trustee Otis Williams felt the same way. He made his way to the church following the storms, but was turned away by police officers with the warning that another line of storms was approaching. “I was standing there, but I didn’t believe it.” Otis said. “I had to come back the next morning before I could believe it.”

It has been estimated that it only took 30 seconds for the tornado to churn through the church for the second time in 37 years. The church was destroyed by an F5 twister on April 3, 1974, in the same site.

In the days after the April storms, church members held steadfast in faith.

Leslie said members agreed to rebuild in the same spot. “I don’t think anyone would have thought about moving,” he said.

The church held a groundbreaking the week of Thanksgiving in November. The church’s first projected finish date was six months after the groundbreaking, but due to bad weather construction was delayed.

Today, it’s been more than 15 months since that dark April day and Lakeview United Methodist Church on Lucas Ferry Road again stands.

The new church, which has about 100 members, is larger than its predecessors. Members used insurance money and had to raise more money to build the new facility. The brick church, built by Ed Scott of Scott Construction in Huntsville, is approximately 1,500-square-feet larger than before standing at around 6,700-square-feet. “We added some new classrooms and a new baptistery,” Leslie said.

The church also includes cry room lounges in the men and women’s restrooms as well as a nursery, pastor’s study and a state-of-the-art kitchen in the church’s fellowship hall. The church is also installing an upgraded security system.

After the tornado, Leslie said the church board took a few extra precautions. The church invested in a larger insurance policy. “We didn’t have enough to completely pay for this, so we are taking out a little bit more,” Leslie said. “Especially for the contents. The contents in the old church barely paid for the pews and sanctuary furnishings.”

“We are slow in the process of getting all the furnishings in,” Leslie said. “We still need to do a little decorating, but we will get there.”

Members held their first official service July 15. Leslie and Otis said services are averaging around 60-65 in attendance, but they are continuing to grow.

“We are already picking up,” Otis said. “This is truly a community church,” Leslie added.

Wylheme Ragland recently became pastor of Lakeview United Methodist. Ragland pastored a church in Decatur for more than 33 years.

Lakeview United Methodist Church holds Sunday school at 7:45 a.m.; church service starts at 9 a.m. each Sunday. Wednesday night Bible study starts at 7 p.m.

Leslie said so many people have been good to the Lakeview Church family.

Members found a true friend in Trinity Seventh-day Adventist Church in Athens, which allowed them to use its sanctuary. “They let us use the church and they are great,” Leslie said. “We used it from the second Sunday in May, 2011, until the second Sunday in July this year.”

“We used it way longer than we thought we would,” Otis added. “But, they gave us a key and said to use it as long as we want to.”

The church family is also grateful to a number of organizations that stood by them after the storm including United Way, American Red Cross and many others.

Leslie said they are also thankful to First United Methodist in Athens for help providing furnishings such as tables and hymnals.

“I could make a list of names of those who helped,” Leslie said. “The Sunday following the storms there were people sending letters that said they had heard about us and that they wanted to help.”

Just a couple of original items from before the storms remain in the new church — a tithing box, the Lord’s Prayer and a glass.

Leslie is grateful. “That was a bad day,” he said. “It was a long year with a lot of work and a lot of praying. We truly had to start from scratch.”