Congregation holds on to faith as repairs are underway at lightning-struck Falmouth, NS church

FALMOUTH, NS — When lightning struck Falmouth Baptist Church on June 15, people gathered at the intersection to watch firefighters cut into the spire in an effort to save the historic building.”

Reverend Gail Whalen-Dunn was among those watching—and praying for a positive outcome.

“My biggest thought, because of the tornado warning at the time, was that everyone would just stay safe and be safe and no one would get hurt because of this,” Whalen-Dunn said.

No injuries were reported and the tornado watch was called off as firefighters packed up at the scene. Although the church was saved that day, it sustained significant smoke and water damage.

“Even though it was in the tower, all the water seeped into the basement and we had a few inches of water there,” she said, noting that the water was collecting under the floor.

The pastor, who has served the church for the past nine years, is still ironing out the repair details with the insurance company.

Currently there is a large container on the site, filled with contents from the church.

“Eventually there will be repairs to the tower – or a replacement. They’ve ripped out the carpeting on the balcony and the walls above need to come down and the floor needs to be replaced,” said Whalen-Dunn.

“In the main sanctuary, the entire ceiling has to come down because of the water damage – and parts of the walls.”

The greatest damage was confined to the tower, balcony, foyer, sanctuary and cellar.

She said that by the time the repairs to the 152-year-old wooden church are complete, “it will pretty much be a brand new building when we get it back.”

When the church was struck by lightning shortly after 3pm on June 15, firefighters were already working at a home in Falmouth that had also been struck by lightning. That afternoon, Hants County experienced a fast-moving storm—one that required firefighters from multiple stations to adapt and answer the call. Whalen-Dunn said the congregation is grateful for their actions, which resulted in saving the church.

Six months

Whalen-Dunn said the congregation is optimistic that they will be able to serve in person at the church again within four to six months. In the meantime, they do their best.

“COVID has taught us a lot of resilience and perseverance and just keep our faith and keep moving forward,” said Whalen-Dunn.

“It was a great lesson because we’re really learning it all over again.”

Although her office in the church was spared damage, she is not allowed to work there while repairs are in progress. She said she works from home — a common occurrence for many people due to the global pandemic — and visits.

As for the members of the congregation, which is about 50 strong, they still meet on Sundays. It just looks a little different.

The first two Sundays after the fire, the congregation met at Harvest House in Windsor. Beginning July 2, they began meeting in Windsor Elms Village.

“The people who run Harvest House visit this community and so they opened their facility to us, which was absolutely amazing,” said Whalen-Dunn.

And then the Windsor Elms Village, where Whalen-Dunn holds a Sunday afternoon church service for long-term care residents, offered its multipurpose space. It was an offer Whalen-Dunn said was much appreciated as it keeps the congregation in Falmouth.

“This is a building,” she said, pointing to the damaged church.

“We are the municipality and the municipality can come together anywhere. We are still the family of God when we gather, even when we are outside our meetinghouse.”

For Susan MacDougall, CEO of Windsor Elms Village, it just made sense to provide space in the care home.

“We see ourselves as a community within the wider community. So reaching out and helping someone or a group in our community is the right thing to do,” MacDougall said, noting that Whalen-Dunn is already considered part of the Elms community because of her afternoon shifts.

“When the opportunity arose to help her and her congregation, we had that connection and we didn’t even hesitate. We wanted to be able to offer her and her municipality that.”

A number of employees also go to church, which further increases the synergy.

“It’s a multitude of reasons, all of which really screamed that it was the right thing to do.”

MacDougall said residents of the Elms can attend the community church’s morning session or the regular afternoon service, or both.

“We’re always looking for ways, especially now that we’ve come out of the pandemic, to bring our community back to the Windsor Elms, so this is a great opportunity to do that.”

Whalen-Dunn said the congregation is grateful for the community’s support and prayers in the days following the lightning strike.

Although they are temporarily displaced, Whalen-Dunn said they remain optimistic and faithful that it will all work out.

“It will be a beautiful day when we come back. But meanwhile, every day we meet is still good – it’s still great, actually. … People are still coming out, no one has stayed away, which is great.