Buckingham Presbyterian Church members look to the future after fire

Buckingham Presbyterian Church members are focused on the future and restoring services after a fire destroyed their church. According to the Tice Fire Protection and Rescue Service District on Tuesday, the fire at the church on Buckingham Road was caused by a direct lightning strike during a storm that moved through the area Friday night. The fire burned for nearly four hours before a driver saw the flames and called 911. "My emotions immediately were just overwhelming. Then the next is what do we do now?" said Vicki McWhorter, clerk of session for the church. The fire is not stopping members from coming together. For now, they're taking their Sunday service outside, gathering on the lawn behind the church to worship together. "It'll be under the old trees like we had last Sunday," said McWhorter. McWhorter says they're working toward moving the services into the spare building behind the church. "We're getting power and water to our back building and we're going to meet in there till we know what we're going to do next," said McWhorter. McWhorter says they're grateful for the support and donations are already coming in. "We're just a positive congregation and know that God's got our back. He's got us," said McWhorter. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.