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United Methodists, community grieve for victims of explosion

Mar. 23, 2005

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

Members of two Paonia, Colo., United Methodist churches were on the
scene binding wounds and offering prayers after a March 19 explosion at
a mountain lodge killed three children and wounded several others.

"Jesus Christ came to North Fork," said the Rev. Rick Clair in his Palm
Sunday message to the congregation of Crawford/Hotchkiss United
Methodist Church.

Clair and the Rev. John Nadasi, pastor of Paonia United Methodist
Church, were among the first to respond. Many of the 20 to 30 people at
the lodge were family members gathered for a reunion.

"These people were hurt, burned up, lot of broken bones, and head
traumas," said Nadasi, a trained EMT.

Isaac Watkins, 3, his sister Leslie Ann Bilbrey, 12, and their cousin
Jamie Marie Reade, 16, died in the explosion.  So far, investigators
believe propane gas leaked from a gas tank into the lodge, settled in
the basement and exploded.

"In the middle of their afternoon the whole building blew up underneath
them. The news went out like wildfire," Nadasi said.

"When I looked around and saw who was there, it was our church," he
said. Many of the trained medics and emergency personnel were members of
Paonia United Methodist Church.

Nadasi said he would use the example of the community coming together to
help those in need as his Maundy Thursday sermon.

"Rather than just washing each others feet we were washing the wounds,
setting the broken bones of our neighbors during this Holy Week."

Before the March 19 explosion, Clair was home preparing his Sunday
morning sermon. He knew he needed to go grocery shopping but didn't want
to take a break.

"I was really glad I listened to that little voice inside," he said. "I
was working on a sermon and knew I had to go grocery shopping. I kept
putting it off and putting it off until finally something just hit me
real hard to go down and do it," he said. While he was in the checkout
line, the cashier told him she thought he was needed at the scene of the
explosion.

"I threw the groceries in the back of the car and headed to Paonia. On
the way up I called Pastor John and told him we were probably needed."

Clair said he was impressed by the way people just put aside their egos
and "did the right thing."

"It was pretty humbling and pretty honoring to be a part of it," he
said. "It was quite an experience. I spent a lot of time with people as
they came in, reassuring them that this was not God's fault or God's
plan but that God would be there through it all."

Both men said it was not just the United Methodist churches that
responded but all churches and people in the community. Clair said one
church was having a going away dinner for a member of their congregation
and when they heard the news, they packed up the food and brought it to
the scene.

"I am sure some of the people who were there were not believers, but
whether they knew it or not they were living the hands and hearts of
Christ," Clair said.

Nadasi said the lodge was a place many locals often visited. "When you
think of the back mountains of Colorado, the most scenic area in the
state, that's where this happened. They are really kind, decent people."

Paonia United Methodist Church will be taking up donations to give to
families. Anyone wishing to donate may call 970-527-4263.

"I hope all United Methodists are praying for them (the families) cause
they are sure gonna need it," Clair said. "I am convinced we give birth
to our kids and they bury us-- we are not suppose to bury them. My faith
is rock solid, without that I don't know how some people can get through
this sort of stuff."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in
Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470
or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service
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