MT. VERNON, Ky. (KT) — A fire at Maretburg Baptist Church Sunday night could have had disastrous results. Instead, Pastor Peyton Bowman said the grace of God was seen in abundance.
The fire started as a result of a power line that fell across several vehicles at the church as it prepared for its Christmas program. While it will require extensive wiring and electrical repairs in the sanctuary, Bowman said there is much to be thankful for.
There were numerous visitors at the church to attend a fellowship meal followed by a 6 p.m. Christmas program. But at 5:41, the power went out and seconds later a chaotic scene unfolded.
Bowman, who has been the church’s pastor for only a month, can rightly say it is a baptism by fire.
He and his wife, Michaela, and their 1-month-old child, were by the sound board when power was lost, and seconds later, there was an explosion in the panel right beside them.
“It was madness,” Bowman said. “The firefighters said it was by the grace of God that we are still alive.”
That is one significant facet of God’s grace — but there are many more. No one was injured, and the damage was limited to the sanctuary. “We are thankful that no one was hurt. Everybody is really rejoicing, which is totally upside down — but only the hope of Jesus can do that. It was where we almost lost our building, but everybody was rejoicing that — in the midst of chaos — Jesus brought us a peace that we cannot explain. He protected all of us. He is in control, and we rejoice in that.”
Bowman said that at this time, there are no immediate needs. “It is going to take some time, and there is some work to be done. All our sanctuary wiring and all the electrical is shot, so we’ll have to redo everything in the sanctuary.
“We had just paid off the debt on the sound system. But the good news is that the fellowship hall has separate wiring and electrical work, so we will be able to meet in the fellowship hall and hold services. So while the sanctuary is being repaired, we’ll have a building to meet, facilities such as kitchen and bathrooms. That is the grace of God, and we are excited about it.”
Also, Ron Crow with Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, said a $5,000 KY CARE grant is being issued to assist in the repair effort.
Bowman applauded the work of first responders, noting that fire crews arrived at the church within minutes arrived at the church, discovering multiple small fires in the soffit area around the church. “The fires were quickly brought under control, resulting in minimal damage to the structure,” according to the Mount Vernon Fire Department. “Crews conducted a complete inspection of the building to ensure no additional fire spread was present.”
According to Facebook posts, the power outage affected more than 750 customers and was the result of a transformer blowing and catching fire.
Bowman noted in a Facebook post that he was flooded Sunday night with people expressing their concern, and he assured people that he and his family, which also includes a 1-year-old, are fine.
The incident has provided opportunities for Bowman to voice his thankfulness, but also impress upon people the providence and grace of God. A television news crew from Lexington was in the area and stopped when it saw the emergency crews at Maretburg, and that provided Bowman the opportunity to testify to God’s goodness and grace in an interview.
