Tornado rattles Tokio building but not faith
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___WEST--A mid-October tornado shook the timbers of Tokio Baptist Church's sanctuary, but the people who make up the church are standing firm, Pastor Terry McElrath says.
___The tornado struck the rural church at about 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, with winds estimated at 160 miles per hour, Deacon Ronald Whitman said.
___The church met in a member's home for services the Sunday after the tornado. McElrath's sermon that morning stressed that the church was the people of the congregation, not the 70-year-old building.
___The following Saturday morning, Tokio church members, as well as members from four other area churches, met with community members and McLennan Community College Baptist Student Ministry members to clean up the property.
___The primary damage to the church was the roof, but the removal of portions of the roof caused walls to fall away.
___"We're not going to be able to fix the sanctuary but will need to rebuild," McElrath explained.
___The church has reached a settlement with its insurance company and received some donations from other churches. While the amounts were not large, McElrath said, the gesture was significant to the members of Tokio Baptist Church.
___"It was the thought that was significant to us, not the amount. Some of the largest gifts came from some of the smallest congregations, and so those meant an awful lot," he said.
___Damage to the church's fellowship hall was minimal, and the church is meeting there now.
___"We have a lot to be thankful for," McElrath said.
___
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