When pastors pray, asking God to remove the ceiling, usually they mean that as a metaphor for growth. But when Keith Reuther went to his sanctuary on a recent morning to pray, that’s exactly what happened.
Literally.
Instead of encountering a quiet space for reflection and prayer, Rev. Reuther, pastor of Paxton Covenant Church in Paxton, Illinois, found a huge cloud of dust and debris. A large beam made mostly of plasterboard had collapsed and plummeted to the floor below.
“At my calculations, you’re looking at over 2,500 pounds of plaster in that piece alone,” Reuther said over the phone. “It dropped over 30 feet…by the time it hit the ground, it was probably going about 30 miles an hour. So it was just an amazing amount of damage. Two of the pews were completely destroyed. Our baby grand piano is damaged. Our pulpit and lectern are damaged. The electric keyboard is destroyed.”
The collapse sent dust into the pipe organ and throughout the room, creating a potential health hazard due to the potential for asbestos or lead in the historic building. Somehow, the drum set survived the impact.
Despite the devastation, Reuther says he was grateful that the building was empty when it happened, in between church gatherings, including a wedding that was scheduled the following Saturday. The destroyed pews in front are where the children usually gather to sing after Sunday school. Some of the kids said, “Wow, God was watching over us,” Reuther said. “That’s the way the congregation feels, too.”
In a beautiful display of the broader body of Christ at work, a neighboring Methodist church generously offered the congregation a recently closed building across the road to use for their temporary home for worship.
In addition, the local community’s response has been overwhelmingly supportive. “The men from the Knights of Columbus called up and said, ‘Can we come in and help you clean up?’ A group from the Church of Christ called up and said, ‘Can we help you clean up?’” Reuther said. Even the local high school’s baccalaureate service, which Paxton was slated to host, was seamlessly relocated to the Methodist church, with Reuther still directing the event.
When asked about a potential timeline for repair, Reuther was forthright. “No idea,” he said. The damage assessment process is a complex blend involving structural engineers, insurance adjusters, and trying to pinpoint causes in a building constructed more than a century ago. The exact cause of the collapse remains unknown—it could be related to internal damage, temperature fluctuations, or even the cumulative effects of vibrations from heavy trucks and other traffic outside.
Still, Reuther maintained a non-anxious perspective in the context of the chaos. “One of the first things I said is, God already knew this was going to happen. It’s a surprise to us, but God knew it was going to happen.” He remains thankful there were no losses or even injuries. Physical objects can be replaced, he said. “There’s a great opportunity for others to witness our attitude in how we respond to moments like this. There’s a great opportunity to work with other congregations.”
More than anything else, Reuther sees the collapse as an opportunity for growth. “You get stronger by lifting weights. You get faster by running. We don’t like doing that in general, but that helps us grow. This will help us grow if we live in it.”
