Buckingham congregation stays together after lightning fire

BUCKINGHAM, Fla. (WINK) — Buckingham Presbyterian Church leaders say they plan to rebuild after a lightning-sparked fire destroyed the church Friday.

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The building had stood on the property since 1984.

Despite the damage, church leaders say the congregation is staying put.

“They’re very sad that it's happened, but they're all positive,” said Vicki McWhorter, the church’s clerk of session. “They know that this is a building, and they know our congregation; we're a strong, super strong unit.”

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The congregation held service Sunday beneath oak trees on the property. McWhorter said electricity has since been restored to a smaller building behind the church, and once water is restored, services will move there temporarily.

“I wanted to keep our congregation close,” McWhorter said. “I wanted to comfort them, let them know we're gonna be okay.”

McWhorter has been part of the church since 1987, just a few years after the current building was constructed. She said her children were raised and baptized there, and her grandchildren were baptized there as well.

“There’s a lot of history here, but we all know it’s a building,” she said.

Church leaders say the plan is to rebuild, but they are still in the early stages of working through insurance and determining what comes next.