Erwin church demonstrates how to keep your faith.

When a devastating fire struck at the heart of Erwin’s First Church of the Brethren last June, it would have been understandable if members of the congregation had stumbled and lost their faith.

But they did not. In fact, they took their trials and tribulations and strengthened their resolve. On March 15, members broke ground on a new building to replace the one destroyed when lightning struck the steeple on that fateful day.

Members have long said that the building is not the church--meaning that the "church" consists of the people who worship. It’s obvious, then, that the people who make up the First Church of the Brethren have kept their faith alive, and they have, in turn, been an example to our whole community.

Adversity can bring us down, but it’s true--as this congregation has shown us--that you can find renewal and strength in tough times. God’s hand, it seems, has been strong and steady.

-- Mark A. Stevens is publisher of the "Erwin Record" newspaper. This editorial appeared in the newspaper on March 24, and is reprinted here with permission. Go to http://www.erwinrecord.net/Detail.php?Cat=VIEWPOINT&ID=58750 to find the piece online.

Source: 4/8/2009 Newsline