Hello everyone,
Well this is shaping up to be a difficult week in the gospel community. First we learned the news of the tragic accident involving Rev. Timothy Wright and his family, and now it seems that another great man of God is enduring trying times of his own. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the fire that destroyed Bishop Paul S. Morton's church. Please read the story below for details and remember to keep the Bishop and his church family in your prayers.
07:40 PM CDT on Monday, July 7, 2008
Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News
Early Monday a fire at a Central City church left 7,000 thousand members searching for a new place to worship. Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist First battled Hurricane Katrina, and now this, but members say that they will rebuild. Firefighters arrived at the church shortly after 2:30 a.m. Some of the church administrators got the call a short time later. "We drove up to a number of fire trucks and ambulances here, a lot of black smoke coming out of the church," Brandon Boutin said, who says he was raised here, and, for him, the situation is overwhelming. "This church has been an anchor in the community for 70-plus years and, even after the storm, it's been more, just a sign of hope for so many people," Boutin said. But the challenges ahead will be huge for congregation. Many of the church waited outside while their leader, Bishop Paul Morton, toured the building. Pews inside were destroyed, so is the altar, leaving an uncertain future. Church members have been surveying the damage, and while they don't know what will become of this facility, they say they're confident the church's mission will continue. Members came by in large numbers, including Congressman William Jefferson, the most well-known member of the church, who stopped by to led his support. "The church has had a significant role in our community and I believe it will continue to have that role and we certainly wish to do those things that are pleasing in God's sight," Gilbert Stampley, a church member, said Bishop Morton says he's hoping for an easy transition. "Well that's what we're working on right now to make sure that we get a facility that will hold us on Sundays and Thursdays, we have a very large bible study, so those things we're going to make sure that we're taken care of," Morton said. Many of the congregation have already been through this situation after the church's New Orleans East branch flooded during Hurricane Katrina. This, will be another trying time, but it's one they're willing to accept.
