On Dec. 28, a line of severe storms tore through the Southeast, producing multiple long-track tornadoes in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. More than 20 tornadoes were reported across five states. One of the tornadoes struck O’Zion Church in Meadville, Mississippi.
Pastor Lance Moak was in the Wesson area when the storm hit.
“The Wesson area was kind of where the tornado ended when I was starting home,” he said. “I got the message that the church had been hit by a tornado.
“Everyone’s doing good,” he said. “Sometimes you kind of forget how all of this is going to play on your emotions and your mental health, but everybody seems to be taking it as good as can be expected.”
The church was destroyed. The steeple was thrown onto the other side of a stand of trees.
Clean up, rebuild
On the Sunday following the storm, the congregation met at the home of Phyllis Whittington, the church secretary.
“We made the decision to continue to do that in the short term, with the long-term plan being to clean up and rebuild,” Moak said.
Whittington shared some history that Moak hadn’t known.
“Her family has been there since the church started,” he said. “The church has been there since 1917.”
On May 5, 1934, a tornado also struck O’Zion, wiping out the church. It was rebuilt.
The church’s slogan is “Little church, big heart.” In that spirit, the church plans to move forward.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tony Martin and originally published by The Baptist Record.
