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‘A sigh of relief': Nashville church reopens 5 years after tornado
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A historic church in Buena Vista is back open after it was destroyed by a powerful tornado more than five years ago.
On March 3, 2020, an EF-3 twister crossed over the interstate, striking the then 135-year-old Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. The impact destroyed their church building and Christian Life Center on the 3-acre property, leaving them to have to rebuild from the ground up.
The storm was part of a major tornado outbreak in Middle Tennessee that left 25 people dead.
On June 1, over 500 people came through the front doors of the new and improved version of the church on Arthur Avenue. It took about two years of construction to complete the $6.2 million rebuild project.
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'The truth is the tornado tried to end our story, but God, he turned the page,' said Rev. Jacques Boyd, pastor at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. 'There were people from all over the city of Nashville that joined us, members who have been a part of this family of faith for 80 plus years to members who just joined us on that day.'
District 19 Metro councilman Jacob Kupin was there for the long-awaited return. He called it a really special day for the neighborhood.
'A huge testament to the leadership of Pastor Boyd and this whole community to stay strong, to keep building, to keep going forward to this beautiful moment,' Kupin said. 'There were bumps along the road, but that's the journey of life, right?'
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Boyd said he believes everything happens for a reason.
'Here we are five years later, a pandemic later, and something is different,' Boyd said. 'Because the truth of the matter is, family, we have moved from programs to purpose. We've moved from members sitting to disciples serving. Let's be honest, our youth are engaged, our seniors are active, our worship is alive, and we don't just do church, we are the church.'
Construction crews are still working on building a 120-spot parking lot behind the church building. Mount Bethel officials are hoping it will be complete in the next two weeks. Despite that, Boyd told News 2 it's good to finally be home.
'It's a sigh of relief,' Boyd said. 'I know the five years has been a long time for all of us, but I believe that the ends justify the means, and we're just excited to be back here in North Nashville and Buena Vista to do the work that God has called us to do.'To learn more, visit Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church's website.
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