MEDWAY, Mass. -- In the interest of public safety, officials decided a burnt steeple had to come down immediately Thursday.
The charred steeple of the nearly 200-year-old Medway Community Church was taken down piece by piece after an early morning lightning strike.
"I was on the way to work when I looked up at my church and saw it on fire," said Laura May, a church member.
The torrential rains and this electrical storm literally shook the entire community.
"We heard a crack of lightening that shook the house, and I look out my kitchen window and I could see the steeple had 20 foot flames coming out of the top of the steeple," said David Blackwell, a witness.
Firefighters were on scene within minutes, but the damage was already done.
"It was a tough one to get at because of the height. It was right at the top of the steeple," said Chief Paul Trufant, of the Medway Fire Department.
By the time clean up got underway, the ceiling in front of the sanctuary was gone.
"This church is more than just a building and even though we've had damage to the building well continue to worship on Sunday as planned," said Carl Schultz, Associate Pastor.
This steeple is no stranger to troubles. In 1938, a hurricane took it down, and it was already hit by lightning before in 1959 -- a testament, congregants say, to the strength of their community.
"Because the church is really the community and the members are God's people we aren't destroyed. We're here to rebuild the building and it's just a physical shell but it's still a shock," said Laura May, a church member.
Many churches in the area have offered their houses to these congregants but if all goes according to plan, they'll be holding Sunday services on the front lawn.
(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Fire tears through old Lawrence mill Cars collide; 1 into Peabody business building New Hampshire police seize 322,000 prescription pills
