Prayers answered as storm passes by Arkansas church

By Jane Dennis

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--Members of Marmaduke (Ark.) United Methodist Church held hands and prayed in the church basement during evening worship on April 2 as a powerful storm swept through the community, wrecking homes, businesses and property.

Prayers were answered and the congregation remained safe. In the town of 1,100, an estimated 45 people were injured, but there were no deaths. The tornado demolished the city's school, a residential neighborhood and a railroad car factory.

"It was about 6:15 and we had just started our Sunday night worship service," said the Rev. Dan Walker, pastor of the 150-member church. "I don't know why - I guess the Lord gave me some sense -but while everyone was singing I went outside and looked and something told me to get everyone in the basement."

After about five minutes in the basement, Walker thought perhaps he had made a mistake. "We didn't hear anything, and I thought there's nothing to this. So I went outside and the tornado was about a block away. It was huge - a big black cloud, two or three football fields wide. I could see debris swirling around and white looking dust. It was so big and massive that I was just floored."

Seconds after he retreated and closed the basement door, "it hit," Walker said. The congregation was holding hands and praying as the storm passed over. An eerie calm and a burst of sunshine followed. The storm produced no rain, only strong winds and, in some places, golf ball-sized hail.
"We looked out the door and saw that it got about 60 percent of our town," Walker recounted. "It's bad, real bad."

The church and parsonage suffered "about $4,000 (to) $5,000 in damage," mainly roof shingles ripped away and blown out windows, Walker said.

The hardest hit area in the town is about two blocks away from the church. "You look down Highway 49 at what I've always thought was a real pretty little town and it's barren, dead. The trees are stripped bare. Streets are blocked with debris … It's a mess. I would estimate that we've probably lost 60-70 percent of our housing."

The morning after the storm, with no phone service available, Walker rode his four-wheeler on the few passable streets, trying to check on elderly members of his church.

"We've got many elderly people in our church, and I know some of their homes were destroyed," the pastor said. "I don't know what's going to happen to them. I'm worried about them."

City, county and state emergency response teams, along with the National Guard, arrived almost immediately. Once initial assessments are finished, Walker said he expects members of his congregation will need housing, food, water, blankets and other basic necessities.

"We've already had lots of calls from churches throughout the state wanting to help," Walker said.

The Sunday thunderstorm spawned tornadoes that damaged or destroyed homes in the Shannon community in Randolph County, north of Searcy in White County and south of Wynne in Cross County.

According to the Rev. Tom Hazelwood, disaster response executive for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, 600 to 700 people took refuge at First United Methodist Church in nearby Paragould, Ark. The church is collecting relief supplies to assist in recovery response.

Youth ministry activities and the sixth-grade confirmation class were gathered at Searcy's First United Methodist Church when sirens sounded the storm's approach.

"Everyone was moved to safe areas - inside halls with concrete walls and no windows - until we got the all-clear signal and went on with activities," said the Rev. Mike Morey. "It was about a 40-minute interlude for us."

*Dennis is editor of the Arkansas United Methodist newspaper, a publication in the Arkansas Annual Conference.