Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

alumni
Fowler, this tragedy is deeply personal; he
grew up in Mayfield, graduated from high
school here, came to faith in Christ here,
and has pastored his home church since
2011 here.
But “here” will never be the same.
“My parents go to this church,” he said.
“My grandparents went here. My great
grandparents were here. I was baptized in
this church. I made a profession of faith at
this church. I baptized my kids here. I sat
between my grandparents in the balcony
growing up.
“I think the emotional part of this is that I
know some of this is not coming back, and it
certainly will never be the way it was. Some
of it will be built back, and I think we’re going
to be okay at First Baptist; but it’s just not going to
be the same Mayfield. It’s going to be different; there’s no
way around it. Everything in downtown Mayfield is gone
except for our church building. Our building is the only
one left standing that still has structural integrity.”
In the days before the storm struck Mayfield, forecasters
warned that a rare December outbreak of violent tornadoes
was possible. Fowler figured there might be bad
weather but thought it would miss Mayfield. A tornado
passed nearby in 2016 but dodged the city.
But on that Friday as the storms grew worse and the
“THERE WAS A VACUUM IN THE
TUNNEL IN A MOMENT. THE
CEILING TILES BEGAN TO POP
UP AND DOWN. THE PRESSURE
CHANGED. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT,
WHICH MADE IT A LITTLE SCARIER,
AND THE KIDS WERE SCREAMING
AND CRYING. WE GOT INTO A
SECTION ON THE FLOOR.”
long track tornado that would decimate Mayfield, Dawson
Springs, and other Western Kentucky communities
slithered toward his community, Fowler decided it was
time for his wife and three children to seek shelter at
the church, two miles from their house. The church has
an underground tunnel that connects the main church
building to the children’s center across the street.
Fowler and the family of youth pastor Kody Hopwood,
a MACE graduate of Southern Seminary, arrived simultaneously
at the church. It was 9:20 p.m.
Wes and Kody briefly debated whether the tunnel or
All of FBC’s buildings were damaged by the December 10 storm.
48 the southern baptist theological seminary