Published: May 25, 2008 11:11 pm         

Potter Community Church service held amid ruins of tornado-ravaged building

MARSHALL — “On this rock I will build my church”

Those words spoken by Jesus about Peter reflected a strong faith and belief in the power of God. The congregation of Potter Community Church reflected on those words Sunday as they held their worship service on the foundation where the church previously stood.

Potter Community Church was destroyed by a tornado Saturday even-ing. A slow-moving storm, about a mile wide, cut a swath through southeastern Garfield County, taking the church with it.

The building was only the second one in the 104-year history of the church. Descendants of the original members still attend the church every Sunday, even some who no longer live in the area. Potter Community Church stood two and a half miles north and seven miles west of Orlando in the far southeast corner of Garfield County.

Sunday morning water filled the foundation and the remains of the church building lay crumpled about 10 feet away, where the storm dropped it like a stick of wood. Benches were set up on the foundation, where the choir sang anthems to God beneath an overcast sky the sun promised to shine once again.

The church was established in the old Potter community in 1902, said Bonnie Koch Roberts, 92, whose parents and grandparents built and attended the church.

“My grandfather helped to build it in 1904 and in 1914 we paid off the $500 mortgage,” Roberts said with tears in her eyes.

Roberts, who now lives in Enid, has been a member of that church for 53 years and once played piano there every Sunday.

The original building burned in 1954 and was replaced by an old school building. There once was a community building alongside, but that has been gone for years. The church never has had running water, used outhouses set up nearby and regular attendance seldom is more than 10. But as pastor, Sam Jerome pointed out it’s the people who make the church.

As church members arrived Sunday morning there were hugs and no shortage of tears at the site. Tom and Gene Nealis were married in the church in 1962. Cleta Roberts Sims has been attending the church all her life.

“I cried all night,” said Simms. They planned to attend church in Perry, where they live.

The church is all that re-mains of the Potter community. Originally built as a Christian Church, the name was changed to Potter Community Church.

Jerome prayed, calling God the giver of all good things. He asked the gathering to think about how good God has been to them and the faith that sustains them and the community.

“We stand beside the wreckage of the old church as Jesus stood by Peter saying ‘on this rock I will build my church,’” Jerome said. “That faith still exists. It may not continue on this same spot, but the teachings of Christ will continue.”

During the worship service led by Jerome, the spirit of the church began to grow. From a feeling of loss seemed to come a renewed sense of hope and by the end of the service the congregation vowed to rebuild the church.

The church had been raising money to repair the roof and has about $1,500 in the treasury. A fund-raiser has been set June 21. Bonnie Roberts has been making quilts and aprons for it.

The fundraiser will be the start of the rebirth of Potter Community Church.

“This is not the end of Potter. You and your faith will carry it on,” Jerome said.

The congregation sang hymns from memory because all of the church hymnals were destroyed. They sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and “Rock of Ages.”

The group broke into a general discussion about rebuilding the church and scheduled a workday Saturday to begin cleaning up the area and getting the debris out of the neighboring wheat field. While the church is being rebuilt the group will have church outdoors on the Potter Church site, or if the weather is bad in someone’s home.

The building was not insured so the congregation will use the small amount of funds on hand to start the project and go the rest of the way on faith.

A hymnal rescued from the debris lay on a chair. As the wind blew the pages, turning them one by one, it stopped momentarily on an old hymn, “God Calls Us O’er the Tumult.”

Potter Community Church heard the call.