BLECKLEY COUNTY, Ga. — The Lighthouse of New Beginnings Holiness Church in Bleckley County caught fire on Friday, but its leaders didn't let that stop them from hosting services this Easter weekend.
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"I wanted to cry when I saw the place," Bishop Eddie Ingram said. "But then I looked and I said, 'okay God, I don't know what you have in store for us, but again I want to tell you thank you.'"
He and his wife, Pastor Jackie Ingram, have a positive outlook despite not being able to use their church building on Easter weekend.
"On Friday around lunchtime, I got a call from the fire department stating that they were at the church and that lightning had hit, and when I got there I found out that both of my outside shed had been burned to the ground, lightning hit a tree, struck it and also hit the church," Eddie said.
The fire spread from the shed to the kitchen and blew out all of the electrical sockets.
Ingram says an electrician has to inspect the building before anyone can go inside, but that didn't keep them from having service on Easter weekend.
"We didn't give it a second thought, we were like 'okay we're going to bring church to the house.' We don't just stop having church for any reason. We try to have it every Saturday," Jackie said.
They were cautious about the weather, but during a phone call with their friend, Henry Daniels, a pastor at the nearby True Vine Christian Center, an Easter miracle happened.
"He said, 'By all means come use my sanctuary,' and I said, 'Well we plan on having services outside,' and he said, 'I don't think the weather's going to allow you to,' and he said, 'You would hurt my feelings if you didn't come.' He said, 'Please by all means come,'" Eddie said.
About 50 congregation members followed the Ingrams to True Vine Christian Center in Cochran for their Saturday service.
"Wherever we go they say I'll go and that just makes you feel so good that you have members that love you so much that they're behind us 100%," Jackie said.
The Ingrams plan to have service in their yard next Saturday, weather permitting.