MAYFIELD, Ky. — First Christian Church in downtown Mayfield was completely destroyed, leaving parishioners to worship in a parking lot service Dec. 12.
Just one week later parishioners were able to host their Sunday service at Mayfield Elementary School. The church has received upward of $100,000 in monetary donations to rebuild their church and build new memories.
Attending First Christian Church has a new look each Sunday. The church is working toward a more permanent place to call home but for now they have to worship in any place with a roof over their heads. Dr. Milton West has served as the senior minister of the church since 2019.
“If you’re grieving and I know you are. Your emotions about church, and not only that but about our town are going to be all over the place, they really are,” said West.
Dec. 12th Senior minister Dr. Milton West led parishioners for parking lot service, it was emotional for everyone who came. A week later service is in Mayfield Elementary School, a building many parishioners haven’t been in since elementary school. Mary-Beth Pittman has been a parishioner of First Christian Church since she was a baby, now she serves as a deacon of the church. Pittman lost her home in the EF-4 tornado and is now living with her cousin.
“I’m a very emotional person about this kind of stuff, after losing everything I had. But I know I got a loving minister and his wife,” said Pittman.
Churches all over the United States have called asking West how much money is needed to rebuild, even some from an arms-length away in Indiana.
“And I’m thinking there’s not a good answer to this question so I said I don’t have an answer. He said would 10,000 be OK? I said what would you have us do with it? He said do with it what the Lord asks you to do. Some of the money we received, we are to give to tornado relief in our area which our leadership will sit down and figure that out. A lot of it is for us to rebuild the building,” said West.
Attending church service in a building that is not your church triggered many emotions for parishioners as it was the second Sunday since the tornado happened. Many parishioners lived close to the church so the are reminded every single day of the devastion.
“I was afraid to come to service this last Sunday because I had been back twice. They say three times is a charm and it wasn’t a charm for me, so I went to my cousin's church. I didn’t really want to get out but they made me get out and do something,” said Pittman.
First Christian Church in Mayfield is asking parishioners if they have damage to their homes to inform ministers so they can be of assistance.