Alabama church didn’t let car crashing into its building disrupt Sunday worship
[Episcopal News Service] A new church in the Diocese of Alabama didn’t let a car crashing into its space on July 9 keep it from worshiping the following Sunday. Riverside Episcopal Church began worshiping in a storefront space in McCalla in April. No one was in the building at the time of the crash.
A local news report said a woman driving a black sedan crashed into the building. The local sheriff’s office said it appears the driver may have experienced some type of medical emergency.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Geoff Evans, told the CBS affiliate that someone cut a doorway into the building to allow church members to enter, and they would continue with ministry and worship as scheduled.
He also said the woman and her husband came by the church later that day, and they chatted and prayed together. “We’re going to pray for her on Sunday,” he said.
Episcopal News Service in March reported that Riverside had received gifts of a baptismal font, a processional cross and an altar cross from a priest in Maine as it was beginning its life as a new church start.
Because of the high cost of shipping the items, a group of Episcopalians offered to get the items to Alabama in what was called a “font relay.” Over two weeks and 1,560 miles, 14 adult volunteers and a baby ferried the items from New England to Alabama to provide Riverside Church the liturgical items it needed.
