1. Fire destroys church
Vincennes Sun-Commercial (IN) - February 19, 2005
Author/Byline: JENNIFER EARLES staff writer
Section: News
MONROE CITY - Members of First Church of God watched with tear-filled eyes Friday as flames devoured their beloved building and
dark clouds of smoke billowed across the county.
Kim Donaldson found it difficult to hold back her emotion.
"This is so scary," Donaldson said. "This is my life. This is where I feel the safest."
For seven years, Donaldson has spent every Sunday at First Church of God along with approximately 350 other members. She and her
mother, Gertrude O'Haver, watched as firefighters worked to put out the flames.
"My children all play instruments here; they go to Bible school in the summer," Donaldson said. "They will be so upset when they find out
what happened."
Firefighters from Knox, Daviess, Pike and Greene counties and Lawrence County, Ill., responded to the fire shortly before 2 p.m. Friday.
Pastor Mark Nielson, who was in the building when the fire began, made the call to firefighters, who responded within 15 minutes.
When they arrived, flames were consuming the fellowship hall near the back of the building and the church office, where administrative
assistant Kay Anson had been working minutes earlier. Neither she nor Nielson was injured.
"I went to see where the smell was coming from and it looked like smoke was coming from the ceiling inside the JC (fellowship) Hall,"
Anson said. "I was just in that area of the church right before we smelled the smoke. It just came upon us so quickly - I don't think there
was anything anyone could have done."
The fellowship hall, located next to the kitchen, was built in 1974 and the office where Anson was working was built in 1968, along with
the old sanctuary, said Nielson, pastor of the church for 25 years. The new sanctuary, he said, was built in 1992. Firefighters worked to
save it as more departments arrived.
"This building means a lot to us, but it is just a building," Nielson said. "The real church is still alive in us.
"This is such a big ministry, with families, children and music," he said. "But we are blessed to have the firefighters working for us. This is
such a hard job and they are volunteers, here for us."
Just after 3 p.m., Dave Chapman, chief of the Washington Fire Department, said the fire was pretty much under control. Firefighters were
unsure of the cause.
"It's just a matter of mopping everything up now," Chapman said. "It usually takes awhile for the investigation to be completed - depending
on how safe it is for them to go in.
"Church fires are the worst," he said. "Everyone is so emotional. People are married here; they were baptized here.
"This is by far one of the biggest fires we have dealt with in awhile, but everyone was prepared and I think we were able to handle it pretty
well."
Anson said the church is insured, and Nielson said the church would be rebuilt.
A member of the church's building committee, Craig Small, said a groundbreaking ceremony had been planned for a new Family Life
Center on March 1, adjacent to the church. The committee had been planning the new building for four years, which Small said would
have doubled the church in size.
The center would have housed events such as the church's Living Christmas Tree program.
"We were planning so many new things," said Small, who joined the church 34 years ago. "But now it looks like we will have to build a
whole new church."
"I'm not sure why these things happen," he said, "but I'm sure it will bring us all closer together."
Just a few hours later, members decided to carry on services at 10 a.m. today at South Knox High School, 6116 E. Ind. 61.

2. "I can't speak for everyone, but I know God has a plan for us and will see us through this," Nielson said. "We will figure something out."
Nielson encourages anyone with questions to contact him at 812-743-2098 or to visit the church's Web site at www.mcchog.org for
updates.
Record: 10CBA81769FDA759
Copyright: Copyright 2005 Vincennes Sun-Commercial