WARRENVILLE — Dust and ashes went airborne Tuesday afternoon on the grounds of Glover Grove Missionary Baptist Church, with the start of an effort to clear the debris from a June 26 fire that destroyed the congregation's building and opened the door to a partnership with new neighbors from around the CSRA and beyond.
Workers from Samaritan's Purse, a ministry based in Boone, North Carolina, arrived at the church Tuesday with an assortment of heavy equipment, looking to remove the debris and make way for a new building.
"Bigger and better" is the rebuilding project's goal, said congregation member Victoria Green, who was among the spectators for Tuesday's efforts.
Recalling the time when she learned the building had gone up in flames, she said, "I felt bad - disappointed, confused - but then I know that God has us covered, and that we're going to build and keep going."
Todd Taylor, assistant manager of U.S. disaster relief for Samaritan's Purse, said his team's goal is to love the congregation and provide equipment to help in the rebuilding effort.
"We're going to remove the remaining walls. We're going to remove the slab and clean everything up and leave Glover Grove with a clean, ready-to-build area," he said.
"When we finish here, the concrete will be gone. All of the remaining wood will be gone - the tin, the metal - and we'll probably even throw some grass seed, just to make it look nice for the community as they decide the next step of the rebuild."
Hopes are to complete the clearing by "about Friday noon," he said.
The Rev. Bobby Jones, Glover Grove's pastor, offered some numerical insight. "I've been here for about 33 years ... and Jesus was on this earth for 33 years ... and the church, right here, at this place, has been here for 33 years. I don't know what you can make out of that, but God is good, and he's making a way out of no way for us to get it built," he said.
Jones said he hopes for the rebuilding project to be complete by this time next year. On the near horizon, plans are for the church's cross, atop the steeple, to be removed and set aside today, as the only feature of the building to have been untouched by the fire.
"If you look, everything burned but the cross," Jones said. "It burned all these trees around here, 10 feet away, but the cross is still standing, and I thank God for that."
Plans are also in place for a Sunday event in support of the congregation, with Aiken's First Baptist Church as the host site. The Glover Grove Phoenix Unity Service, with input from a variety of congregations, is set for 4 p.m., to run about an hour. First Baptist is at 120 Chesterfield St. N.E., in downtown Aiken.
In addition, a fund to support the rebuilding effort has been established at Security Federal Bank. Donations also can be mailed to the bank at P.O. Box 810, Aiken, SC 29802.
Bill Bengtson, a native of Florence, Alabama, has worked for Aiken Communications since 1996.