Hanging on the wall of pastor Richard McLawhorn’s office at Garden City Baptist Church is a white hard hat, the one he wore when he walked through the burned-out buildings of his church in the months following a lightning strike and devastating fire on June 28, 2009.
McLawhornAnd while the hard hat is a sobering reminder of the fire’s destruction, it also reminds McLawhorn of just how far the southern Grand Strand church has come – not only in rebuilding what was lost, but also in growing and reaching its community during the reconstruction.
On Sunday, Jan. 16, the Garden City congregation worshiped in its own sanctuary for the first time in 19 months, marking the final step in the rebuilding process.
The church didn’t use the fire as an excuse to stop being the church, McLawhorn said. Despite difficulties for members in attending and reaching classes, Garden City’s average worship attendance grew by nearly 20 percent over the last four months of 2010, and Sunday school attendance is higher now than it has been in 11 years.
After the fire, the church met for a few weeks at nearby St. Michael Catholic Church and later for several months at Garden City Chapel, a Christian beachside retreat center. In February 2010, the church moved back to its own campus and began worshiping temporarily in the rebuilt fellowship hall.
“God blessed us throughout this entire ordeal,” McLawhorn said. “We had no place to worship our savior, but he opened doors we never thought about on our own.
Garden City Baptist Church members worshiped in their rebuilt sanctuary for the first time on Jan. 16.“We were able to continue most of our normal activities, and we saw God save people and change lives. God has allowed us to witness to the community around us in numerous secular news media reports.”
The rebuilt facilities at Garden City Baptist Church come with many improvements, including new video and sound equipment and an elevator so that people can easily reach the second floor of the fellowship hall.
More than 400 people attended the Jan. 16 rededication service. “We called it a rededication service since the building was originally dedicated 19 years ago,” McLawhorn said.
During his morning message, a picture of McLawhorn in his hard hat flashed on the twin projection screens, followed by a picture of the hard hat hanging on the wall of his office.
“My message was that we should hang up whatever may be in our past to hinder us as individuals and as a church from running the race God has for us,” McLawhorn said. “We should get on with being Christ-centered, Bible-based and love-fed people, zealously reaching out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”