Eleven months after their church was destroyed by fire, Trinity Baptist Church members welcomed guests to an Oct. 5 open house for their new facilities. A fellowship luncheon and dedication service was also held the next day.
The entire Tuscaloosa community was shocked and heartbroken to learn that the loss of the building was believed to be arson. All that remained of the facilities were the blocks and enough faith to build again.
No words can describe how we feel today, Pastor James Tingle said as he proudly showed visitors through the new modern sanctuary. “Naturally, I was sad as I watched the church burn last November. I would pace back and forth near the flames and pray, but the Lord told me that night that He would build a new church back and it would be debt free,” Tingle said.
The new facilities include a 150-seat sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen and classrooms that will be debt free in a few weeks.
The congregation will soon begin a fund for paving the parking lot, and the building project will be complete.
When members realized they did not have the adequate amount of insurance to replace the building, Jerry Wilkins, director of missions for Tuscaloosa Baptist Association, initiated a fund-raising effort throughout the association. The response contributed greatly to the $350,000 building program.
Various denominations also donated to the building program. One small church with only seven members gave $100, Tingle noted. Trinity is located on busy U.S. Highway 82 East in Tuscaloosa. Members recall numerous individuals showing their support by making donations on the spot after viewing the charred remains of the church.
The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions helped finanicially and assisted by delivering two mobile trailer units for the congregation to use while waiting for the completion of the building.
The building committee also had an ally in the contractor, Michael Powell of Psalms Construction Company. Powell is the pastor of Yellow Creek Baptist Church.
“He was in our youth program when I was pastor of Piney Grove,” Tingle said. “Michael took care of everything, and we did not have the usual complications of a building program.”
James Mink, assistant pastor at Trinity, said, “We are happy to be back home. God has given us a new start and we will use the building to glorify Him.”
Mink also predicts future additions to the building because he believes the 70-member congregation will grow.
The day before the fire, church members discovered overturned pews and a broken window. The arsonists have not been apprehended, but the fire is still under investigation.
Tingle said the congregation is not bitter. “I often remind them to pray for the people who did this to God’s house,” he said. “It is our duty to pray for them and forgive them.”
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