Worthy Christian News > Christian > Pennsylvania: Pastor Says God Protected Congregants When Tornado Smashed Into Their Building

Pennsylvania: Pastor Says God Protected Congregants When Tornado Smashed Into Their Building

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The pastor of a Christian ministry in Pennsylvania says God protected his congregants when a tornado tore into their church building during a worship service Saturday, ripping off the steeple and a roof, and smashing windows Crosswalk reports. According to the National Weather Service, the twister was probably an EF-2 tornado with winds between 111-135 mph.

One hundred members of Crossroads Ministries in Finleyville, Pa. survived unscathed apart from a few cuts and bruises when the tornado slammed into their building at 6pm on Saturday May 11, Crosswalk said.

“We saw a complete miracle. The hand of God almighty was upon us,” Pastor Ken Barner said during the Sunday sermon the next day. “We’re so thankful for that,” Barner added. “We’re standing on the promises of God right now. … I know that we will get through this.”
. The pastor’s wife Rhonda Barner was singing a worship song on the stage during a livestream of the service when the power started to fail. “I saw the lights were flickering and I saw they went out,” she told WPXI-11 News. “I thought I heard the windows start to shatter, and then the sound was like a train coming through and more windows were shattering.”
In a separate statement to KDKA, congregant Linda Desing said the experience was harrowing. “We were sitting there singing a hymn and the lights started flickering,” Desing said. “All of a sudden, one of the windows blew out and everybody ducked for cover. I don’t ever want to experience this again; I’ve thought about what it might be like to be in a tornado, and I don’t ever want to experience this again.” .
Twelve homes in Finleyville were severely damaged by the tornado, with one home losing its entire second floor, according to a CBS News report/