'God is going to get us through this': Two KCK churches lean on faith after storm devastation

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.

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Two Kansas City, Kansas, churches are facing significant storm damage, with roofs torn off, walls caved in and sanctuaries left exposed, but the congregations said their faith remains intact.

At Roswell Church of Christ, the destruction can be seen from the street. The front wall of the church collapsed, leaving the interior — including the pews — visible from outside.

Artrell Harris, minister at Roswell Church of Christ, paused as he took in the damage with KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"You hurt for the people. You hurt for the members," Harris said.

Standing inside the damaged building, Harris pointed to a Bible that remained untouched amid the rubble.

"Let there be light," Harris said. "The Bible never came out."

For Harris, the destruction of the physical structure does not define the congregation.

"God is going to endure forever. It's going to stand," Harris said. "Even in spite of what we see here, He's still good, and we're still going to trust Him."

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

Harris said he was not prepared for the extent of the damage when he arrived.

"I was not expecting to see the roof torn off there. I was not expecting to see the bricks that have fallen in on our lobby. Not expected to see our... just the destruction and the devastation," Harris said.

Despite the shock, Harris said the congregation already has a plan.

"Just try to console them, try to let them know, 'Hey, we've got a plan to move forward. God doesn't make mistakes, this is an act of nature, but we're going to figure this out,'" Harris said. "We'll be back. We'll be back stronger."

Members of the congregation gathered to see the damage firsthand. Charles Simon and Shantel Miller struggled to find words.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"It hurts," Simon said. "There are no words."

Simon described the church as more than a building.

"It's like a home, a home away from home," Simon said.

Still, Simon and Miller expressed confidence in the road ahead.

"God work it one stone at a time. Brick by brick. Nail by nail. And we gonna get it together," Simon said.

"Literally brick by brick," Miller added. "We gonna get it together."

Michael Davis, who was baptized at Roswell Church of Christ, shared that resolve.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"Devastated... but you know, there's a way, there's will, and if it's the Lord's will, then it will be renovated," Davis said. "We walk by faith, you know, not by sight."

Less than half a mile away, Showers of Blessings is dealing with its own storm damage — part of the roof is gone, and most of the things inside the sanctuary were damaged.

Don Halliburton, minister at Showers of Blessings, said the scene was beyond what he had anticipated.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"I don't know what I expected when I came in, but total devastation was not what I expected," Halliburton said. "I was shocked to say the least, heartbroken."

Halliburton said the congregation is leaning on their faith to get through the uncertainty.

"We don't understand what is happening here. We don't know why it happened, but we are trusting God, that He has a plan for our lives," Halliburton said.

Halliburton confirmed the congregation will continue to gather despite the damage.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"We will be congregating on Sunday, but we'll be on our conference line," Halliburton said. "God is going to get us through this. He knew this was happening — we didn't know, but He knew. And He has a plan for all of our lives, and I know He has a plan for our lives, and we're going to be just fine."

Harris said he believes restoration is coming for Roswell Church of Christ as well.

"He'll restore us here," Harris said. "We'll be praying about how to rebuild, how to reset."

The Roswell Church of Christ congregation plans to meet at the DoubleTree Hotel in Overland Park this weekend.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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