The pastor of a Tallahatchie County house of worship destroyed by fire last week said the congregation hopes to be able to rebuild.
Paducah Wells Church of God of Prophecy, situated in a grove of trees at 3184 Paducah Wells Road, some 3.1 miles northwest of Charleston off Highway 35, has been a fixture in the rural community for nearly 90 years since its founding in the 1940s.
The Wednesday, Nov. 4, fire was initially reported to a radio dispatcher at the Charleston jail at 1:54 a.m.
Shelly Scallions, who along with his wife Joan has pastored the church for 44 years, was awakened by a telephone call less than an hour later.
“They said there had been a fire at my church,” Scallions recalled Monday. By the time he drove from his home near Tippo, “the church was gone.”
“My whole world caved in,” the 83-year-old pastor said of his initial reaction. “Just standing there at the sign looking at where the building used to be was heartbreaking. The memories that we had there...”
The fire, which likely originated in the ceiling, may have been caused by shorted wiring or a rogue lightning strike, Scallions was told. It had been raining earlier that night.
The 1960s era church building, said to be the second constructed at the site, and the 2002 fellowship hall were a total loss.
Nothing could be salvaged, the pastor noted. Fortunately, the structure was insured, he added.
“We lost our building, but the building was just a building,” noted Scallions. “We are still the church.”
He said Paducah Wells members have accepted the kind invitation of the Paducah Wells Volunteer Fire Department to utilize their firehouse up the road for church gatherings.
Sunday morning, four days after the destructive fire, more than a dozen of the Paducah Wells faithful sang hymns and held Sunday school and worship service at the firehouse. Tears were also shed.
Scallions’ sermon recounted how God directed Nehemiah and others to help rebuild the broken walls and burned gates of Jerusalem.
Following Sunday’s service, the group gathered on the church grounds, standing in front of the charred ruins, to pose for a photo of remembrance as well as a reminder that the past is behind.
Scallions said the outpouring of support from the public has been heartwarming.
“People have been so good,” he noted. “They have offered places for us to worship. There have been calls and prayers, not just from the local community but from people from other states. We appreciate all of the support and the prayers that the people are giving us. It’s good to see our community stick together.”
Scallions said anyone who would like to send a donation or memorial gift toward the rebuilding of the church may send it to church clerk Marline Carpenter, 17448 Highway 35, Charleston, MS 38921.
Terming the loss of the church building “a setback,” he noted that the fellowship of the people, and the Spirit of God, will sustain them.
“We want people to know that we aren’t giving up,” said Scallions. “We’re going to keep going.”
