‘Unreal’ amount of donations help Salado-area church after tornado prompts rebuilding

BELL COUNTY, Texas (KWTX) - Bigger and better is how members of a Central Texas church are building their new sanctuary.

First Cedar Valley Baptist Church in bell county continues was completely flattened after a tornado tore through the area in April. Now, the roof is on and the walls are up, a sign of more progress for the church.

“When you have a building and you’re forced to rebuild,” said Donnie Jackson, the church pastor. “Then you know of some of the improvements that you can make.”

Not only is Jackson the pastor for the church he is close to a life-long member.

So, there was tons of emotion after the tornado tore through the area, flattening the church he has been a part of for so long.

Among one of those emotions: surprise.

“It’s been unreal of the amounts of donations we’ve had,” he said.

It is the donations that helped drive the church’s rebuilding and the hope is that will continue until things are finished.

Though it was insured, the money received was hardly enough to cover fixes because of rising costs.

That also means expanding a bit and building off of a very special part of what little was left of the old church.

“I mounted that cross on there myself… that’s the one thing that was still standing, unscathed,” said Jackson. “Everything else was destroyed.”

An old wooden cross, about eight-feet-tall was just about the only thing left after the tornado passed through.

And when the time comes, that cross will make its way back into the new church.

So, from tent services, to having a little portable building for now, Jackson and his congregation will be more than happy once they can settle back in for good.

“Their faith is stronger than it’s ever been. And the tornado took out the building but all it did was strengthen the church,” said Jackson.

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