ARNOLD, Mo. – The First Baptist Church of Arnold canceled services on Sunday, March 16, holding online worship only. Their building was impacted by a band of tornadoes that stretched across several states from Texas to Illinois on Friday evening, March 14.
ARNOLD – Air conditioning units were tossed around on the roof of First Baptist Church, Arnold, during storms, March 14. The storm also toppled the church’s steeple and caused other roof damage, as well as some damage in the interior of the building.
The Missouri Highway Patrol said there were at least 12 fatalities caused by the 19 reported tornadoes. ABC News was reporting around 40 dead across several midwestern and southern states from the storms, as of Sunday, March 16. Several Missouri Baptist churches and ministries were impacted by the storms.
The Arnold church sustained damage to their roof as some HVAC air handling systems were torn up and ripped holes in the roof membrane system. The steeple of the church was knocked over. Much water damage occurred throughout the building as well as power loss.
Executive Pastor Adam Cruse said he was hopeful it would only be a week before they can reopen for on-site worship. He added there were several tornadoes in other communities near Arnold.
In the South Central Baptist Association, the town of Bakersfield, which is close to the Missouri-Arkansas border, was seriously impacted. Pastor Greg Yount of Bakersfield First Baptist Church said the church’s building sustained roof and structural damage. Siding, windows, and a handicap access ramp were damaged, according to the South Central Association’s Director of Missions, Mike Dillon. He said there was bad damage to many homes outside of the town of 300. Three fatalities were reported, and eight homes destroyed in a rural area near the village.
Chad Hodges, Associate Executive Director for the St. Louis Metro Association, said the church sign and parsonage owned by a church in Rockport received some minor damage.
Down in Poplar Bluff, the building shared by Cane Creek-Stoddard Baptist Association and the Baptist Student Union for Three Rivers College was damaged by an EF-3 tornado. Part of the roof was blown off, and the offices and ministry space were inundated with water.
The association Disaster Relief trailer was overturned and contents destroyed as it landed down a hillside from the parking lot. The building is in the neighborhood of the college and BSU campus missionary, James Mohler, said there was damage to apartments nearby where students live. Since they were coming off of spring break there were not as many students on campus as usual. Usually they have between 20 to 60 students involved in their ministry each week. He expects to relocate meetings to another church facility or perhaps a room on campus.
Jim Gentry the director of missions for the association estimated there will be about $125,000 damage to the office and BSU building. HVAC units were damaged, especially air vents and a heat pump which he thought is probably beyond repair. He was able to recover computers and key files from the office.
Mohler and his wife just had a baby two weeks ago so this event was adding to his stress level. “But the Lord protected us,” he said. “It skipped my house (on the campus) but trees are down everywhere.”
Gentry said there was a lot of damage to homes and businesses in Poplar Bluff, including a large non-denominational church. He knew of no SBC churches impacted in their region.
The storms were part of a system of rain and windstorms that moved through Missouri at a fast clip. The line stretched from the Ozarks in southern Missouri to the northeast part of the state. Some areas had 60 mile-per-hour winds and strong rainstorms. Others had strong winds and tornadoes.
POPLAR BLUFF – The office building shared by the Cane Creek-Stoddard Baptist Association and the Baptist Student Union for Three Rivers College was damaged by an EF-3 tornado, March 14.