Faith Chapel puts pre-storm construction plans on hold to make needed repairs

Faith Chapel Baptist Church, Marion, had been planning to construct a fellowship hall and additional classrooms.

Members of the Cahaba Baptist Association church — which averages about 20 in Sunday worship — had been setting aside funds for the new structure, which would nearly double the church’s size, Pastor Lloyd Stockman said.

But then, a mid-April tornado damaged the church.

“The tornado went directly over our church,” Stockman said.

Nonetheless “our people handled it graciously,” he said. “We didn’t miss a Sunday.” 

Members continued to meet in the damaged building, Stockman said.

Repairing the roof cost about $16,000. But “[the damage] could have been a lot worse,” Stockman said. “The Lord blessed us.”

To repair their church, members used some of the money that had been designated for the fellowship hall and a donation from a church in south Alabama.

Within about a month, the repairs had been completed.

Now members are back to planning for a new fellowship hall, Stockman said.

 (TAB)