wfn.org | Six United Methodist churches damaged in Nashville tornadoes

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

April 20, 1998	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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NOTE: Photos available with this story

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -When Tim Tanton took the job of news editor of
United Methodist News Service last winter, little did he know that the
stories he edited about the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
would assume a personal nature.

Tanton's East End residence was slightly damaged by April 16 tornadoes
that devastated downtown Nashville and his historic East Nashville
neighborhood. The first tornado, with its 100 miles per hour winds, hit
at 3:30 p.m. and a second followed at 5:15 p.m. 

East End United Methodist Church, where the Tanton family worships, is
the location for a UMCOR command post and relief coordination center for
the East Nashville area.

UMCOR, the denomination's disaster relief arm, will work from the East
End church and nearby Hobson United Methodist  Church to provide
assistance to the residents in East Nashville. The agency already  has
sent generators to the area for use by medical centers and day-care
centers that are powerless.

The East End church also will be used as clearing house for people
needing assistance and wanting to volunteer. Since much of the
neighborhood is still without electricity, a refrigerated truck will be
in the church's parking lot to provide free ice to those in need.

"UMCOR's presence here is indicative of the United Methodist Church's
relief work throughout the nation and world," said East End pastor Mike
Waldrop. "This tornado was the worst disaster I've ever personally seen
or been a part of."

The April 16  tornadoes were two of nine to touch down in eight
Tennessee counties. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated
that as many as 200 to 300 tornadoes tore across the state, though not
all touched down.

Wind, rain and hail swept through downtown Nashville causing the worst
storm damage here in at least 30 years.   More than 1,220 homes
sustained an estimated $12.5 million in damage; 100 people sustained
injuries from flying debris  and at least 60,000 to 75,000 lost
electricity. 

The city is also home to the largest concentration of United Methodist
churchwide agencies. Located downtown, the United Methodist Publishing
House sustained minor damage but its Cokesbury bookstore next door was
not harmed. There was no damage to the offices of the United Methodist
Board of Discipleship, the Board of Higher Education and Ministry,
United Methodist Communications or the Scarritt-Bennett Center.

Tennessee twisters damaged more than 2,000 houses statewide and
destroyed 200 more. Nashville, along with six other counties, were
declared disaster areas by Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist.

The East End church fared better than other United Methodist churches in
the community, with minor roof, window and tree damage. 

Six United Methodist churches in the city were damaged in varying
degrees, with the most severe at Tulip Street and Aldersgate. 

Other affected churches were Braden, with roof damage; Hermitage, with
roof damage and a portion of the roof of the newly established Byrdstown
United Methodist Church, located on the Cumberland Plateau, was torn
away. 

A 50-foot wide hole was left in the eastern wall of the sanctuary of
historic, 107-year-old Tulip Street United Methodist Church. Sixty of
the church's 174 members worshiped in the sanctuary April 19, after
volunteers from Grace United Methodist Church in Mount Juliet built
scaffolding to support the roof and nailed up a tarp to cover the hole. 

When the eastern wall collapsed, so did the century-old stained glass
windows. Clean-up workers managed to salvage 80 percent of the shards of
glass for window restoration.

During worship on April 19, messages from the pulpit of numerous
churches dealt with thankfulness, rebirth and resurrection. 

Bishop Kenneth Carder, leader of  Tennessee's 203,900 United Methodists,
told the Tulip Street congregation that although tornadoes come and go,
the world is constantly full of people who live with tragedy and who
need compassion.

"We're here to announce to the world this morning that we're an Easter
people," Carder said. "In the midst of darkness and suffering and loss,
we can still proclaim that there is hope and love and joy."

Massive destruction at 40 year-old Aldersgate United Methodist Church
forced its 269 members to hold April 19 worship services at Inglewood
United Methodist Church, nearly three miles away.   The roof of the
Aldergate's fellowship hall is gone, the steeple damaged and a sanctuary
wall buckled.

Carder, who will meet with pastors of the damaged churches this week to
determine appropriate strategies for rebuilding, said  an outpouring of
love and support from across the Tennessee Conference and from across
the United Methodist connection has been noted.

According to officials at United Methodist-related McKendree Village,
none of the retirement community's 700 residents or 400 employees were
injured. Recent fire drills and newsletters telling residents what to do
in case of a storm were cited as reason, as well as the fact that "God
was looking after us," said Robert Willner, president at McKendree. "Our
prayers were answered that no one was hurt and the damage was
superficial."

The same storm system that swept through Nashville, first struck
northwestern Arkansas and western Tennessee, killing 10 people and
injuring at least 22.  Buildings were damaged in northeastern Arkansas
and 200 structures, including mobile homes, were damaged in the Manila
area.

According to Jane Dennis,  editor of the Arkansas United Methodist,
newspaper of the North Arkansas and Little Rock Annual Conferences,  no
United Methodist property  was damaged, and United Methodist pastors are
providing counseling services.

"There is a lot of destruction," said the Rev. Lawrence Dodgen,
superintendent of the Paragould/Jonesboro District. "The churches
responded by being right there."

Manila is approximately 50 miles north of Marmaduke, an Arkansas
community hard hit by tornadoes March 1997. "Because of the experience
at Marmaduke a year ago, a plan was in place and I think people were
ready," Dodgen said. 

Dodgen and a local representative of UMCOR toured the damaged areas and
made plans for the denomination's involvement in long-term recovery of
the community.
 
According to the UMCOR hotline, the agency needs supplies for its
warehouse in Louisiana as well as cash donations to help storm-ravaged
victims in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Donated goods may be sent directly to UMCOR's Depot at 131 Sager-Brown
Road, Baldwin, La. 70514. For a list of needed goods and shipping
instructions, call (800) 814-8765.

Cash donations can be made to a general disaster emergency fund, Advance
No. 901670-1, and earmarked for specific states.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
Releases and photos also available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/