“It’s nothing but a miracle”: Mt. Zion Baptist Church receiving new sanctuary five years after tornado

WEST PADUCAH, Ky. (KBSI) – “It’s just wild.” 

Mt. Zion preschool teacher Elizabeth Lewis recalls the day, exactly five years ago, when the church campus was in the direct path of an EF-2 tornado. 

When they received tornado warning alert, Lewis and 49 others, 40 of them children, rushed to a classroom in the center of the building. Among these 40 children were those who were in the nursery across the hall. 

“There are pictures that actually just popped up on my memories today of the insulation, shingles, stuff from the sanctuary laying in the cribs that the babies were in,” Lewis said.

Lewis and the others gathered near one of the room’s walls, trying their best to stay calm during the storm, and once the storm passed, all 50 people were okay.

What’s even more amazing is this room was the only room that was not damaged by the storm. 

“It’s nothing but a miracle,” Lewis said.

And now the church is rebuilding, breaking ground on a new sanctuary on Wednesday. 

Senior Pastor Jason Medley, who has been with the church for two years, said he is amazed at the mentality and resilience among those at the church. 

“When they’re in the negative times of loss, they still have the hope of knowing that it’s part of the puzzle pieces that God is working together, so they held onto that,” he said. “Instead of embracing bitterness or a mentality of ‘oh, why me?’, they said, ‘okay, well God’s up to something, so let’s just keep helping people along the way.’” 

And Medley said this mentality provides peace of mind even in the most trying times. 

“I think when you’re focused on the blessing and not the negativity, and when you have faith that God is going to bring something good out, you’re able to just keep on going even when it hurts,” he said.

The first mission group will arrive in mid-June to begin construction of the sanctuary.