Storm rips off roof of 101-year-old Elgin church originally destroyed in 1920: 'We are hopeful'
Around 60 people were sleeping in First United Methodist Church when strong storms hit Friday night, but no one was hurt.
ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) -- With a large part of the roof gone, services for Elgin's First United Methodist Church were held online on Sunday.
But that was not enough for dozens of the congregation's members who came together in prayer, still shocked by the storm damage, but grateful that no one was hurt.
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United in prayer, longtime church members, along with many who stopped by just to offer their support, gathered in Elgin's Vineyard Church on Sunday afternoon as they continue to come to terms with the devastating storm damage sustained by their beloved 101-year-old house of worship over the weekend.
"I was driving down, thinking about carrying my son down the aisle to be baptized. When Reverend Rogers held him up, he made the awful-est face, and everybody in church laughed," said longtime church member Karen Fletcher.
Memories like those were shared while, across the street, workers scrambled to tarp over the section of the roof that covers the sanctuary at First United Methodist Church to prevent any further damage from Sunday's inclement weather.
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"My bishop reminded me yesterday. I need to let the tears flow. But we are hopeful," said Lead Pastor Felicia LaBoy.
On Friday night, there were some 60 people sleeping in the basement of the church. Even as the roof was being torn off the building, no one was hurt.
"During the Winter months, the homeless in Elgin are invited into our church basement overnight to sleep. And oddly enough, March 15 was the last day," said First United Methodist Church of Elgin Trustee Alan Walters. "And they were the first ones to respond, because they saw water coming into the building."
First United Methodist Church is one of Elgin's oldest congregations, and yet, this century-old building is not their first home. Rather, it is one borne out of another storm.
"One-hundred-and-five years ago, there was a tornado that came through here. It killed some people at the congregational church and at the Baptist church. Our folks were spared, but our whole thing imploded, and that's why this building was there," LaBoy said.
While it will be some time before the congregation can return to their church home, LaBoy said she has already been offered space to meet elsewhere and is confident they will be able to come up with a plan that will keep the community together until the damage can be repaired.
