Lake Geneva church fire; community comes together
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. - Flames ripped through a southern Wisconsin church causing heavy damage on Monday, Jan. 15.
Two days after the fire, at Anchor Covenant Church in Lake Geneva, the congregation gathered outside for a prayer vigil.
Melissa Wall pastors the church, and she and several other members had to evacuate Monday night when the fire broke out.
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Anchor Covenant Church
"When we came out we could see flames coming out of the front of the sanctuary," Wall said. "The smoke just came very, very, very quickly."
Charred debris and a now frozen trail of ashes lead to the sanctuary of Anchor Covenant Church.
Multiple agencies worked to put out the flames in bitterly cold temperatures.
"We were so amazed everybody just did so incredible with their generosity, they even said we’re going to be really careful with your stained-glass windows," Wall said.
Wall said the church had just finished renovations. Now they’re forced to rebuild again due to extensive fire and water damage.
"My little eight-year-old son said, ‘Mom, we’re actually going to be stronger because of this because of our community,'" she said.
Wednesday, Jan. 17, Wall took her faith beyond the walls of the building. Cars lined up in front of the church for a special drive-thru prayer vigil.
"We came by the next morning and took a look and went holy cow," church member Vance Havens said.
"It is very sad that we’re not going to be able to meet here, but we trust that God is going to work through this," church member Sootie Havens said.
The church is living up to its name by remaining anchored in faith.
"I’m so thankful for community and the people, I mean, Anchor is such a special place," Wall said.
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Members of the congregation were given hearts to place on their dashboards to show support.
The fire department said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The church will have a service this Sunday at Badger High School. They are also raising donations to help rebuild.