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LAFAYETTE, Tenn.-Members of the Lafayette United Methodist Church were counting on their pastor, the Rev. Michael Welch, to tell them why.They needed to know why a tornado laid to waste more than 1,000 homes in Macon County at 140 mph. Why it took at least 14 members of their community. They hoped that the Rev. Welch, known for his ease with counseling the grieving and the lost, would help them understand God's purpose among the ruins. The Rev. Welch, 51, had already begun that work the day after the tornado by opening his church and offering his help.But then, the unthinkable happened.Just two days after the storm, a tractor-trailer slammed into the back of the Welches' van, killing the Rev. Welch, his wife, Julie, 45, and their two children, Hannah, 11, and Jesse, 14.Friends believe the family was returning from a trip to see an injured church member when their van was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, setting off a chain-reaction that passed through six cars and reached far beyond.A truck contracted by Wal-Mart, carrying supplies to a relief center, slammed into the back of the van while it was stopped in congested traffic on Highway 52.The traffic had slowed to a crawl because the highway was more crowded than usual as many of the storm-decimated neighborhoods had been closed to traffic. Mike Pennington, director of missions for the Bledsoe Baptist Association, which covers Macon, Sumner, Trousdale counties, said that he talked to the Rev. Welch about disaster relief efforts several times this week."It's just heartache on top of heartache,'' Pennington said.Ron Lowery, a district superintendent with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church, said he's sending an interim pastor to lead this Sunday's church services. He wasn't sure how that pastor might address the congregation or what words he would find to comfort them.Four other people were injured in the wreck, but the truck driver escaped injury.The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating whether any charges are warranted against the driver, Gerald Judd, 51, of Horse Cave, Ky.Support pours in
The phones at the Lafayette United Methodist Church rang nonstop Friday morning, as news of the Welch family's accident spread through this town of 4,200.Church secretary Ruth Stafford straightened coffee mugs as she spoke to strangers and church members.She told them everyone kept wishing this would turn out to be a bad dream."I felt like Michael had this all under control, and he would make everybody feel better on Sunday," Stafford told a friend.Her eyes teared up as she spoke of the support the church was already receiving, less than 24 hours after the church leader and his family were killed."People have been just amazing," she said. "I just took a call from a lady in Illinois who read about the accident on the Internet and wanted to send a donation."The Rev. Welch, who grew up in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., came to Lafayette three years ago. He had a master's degree in social work and was studying to become an elder of the United Methodist Church.In the late 1990s, the minister worked with Stephen Ministries, a St. Louis-based group that trains local church volunteers to help people dealing with grief and loss.
Even after leaving to become pastor of First Christian Church in Shelbyville, he remained involved with the group, said the Rev. William "Bill" J. McKay, director of project development for Stephen Ministries."It's a huge loss," he said. "Michael was an important part of a lot of people's lives."He was out the night the storm struck and through the next day, when he counseled several families who had just learned the storm had claimed a family member.The Rev. Welch spoke several times with a Tennessean reporter on Wednesday about his desire to help the suffering. He went first thing in the morning to the command center to offer his services, and he was quickly put to work, designating his church as the place where families with missing loved ones could gather and wait."You have families that have come in here and are just in shock (because) of the violence and suddenness of what happened," the Rev. Welch told The Tennessean on Wednesday. "Then, finding out what happened (to loved ones.)"Lowery of the United Methodist Church said the Rev. Welch hoped to stay in the church that he and his wife had grown to love. She ran Sunday school and hosted Bible studies. They also home-schooled their two children.The Rev. Welch had a grown son who lived in another state and was not with them at the time of the accident.Funeral arrangements will be made for the family when the elder son returns to Lafayette.
Kids liked comics, baking
Church treasurer Reba Bellar said she watched Jesse and Hannah while their parents had a "date night."The couple took in dinner and a movie in Nashville, Bellar recalled.Bellar can't say enough good things about the children, whom she often baby-sat. Jesse frequently took off for Bellar's attic to pore through her collection of old comic books. Hannah loved to whip up brownies and cookies to share.Bellar said they ate about a half-gallon of ice cream whenever she had them in her care. She said that Hannah, already an avid baker, had made brownies that night."I told her that night, 'Gal, this is the best you've ever done,' " Bellar said.Bellar gathered Thursday night and Friday with many of the 160 members of the church to grieve and share their memories of the family.Despite her grief, Bellar said, she doesn't blame the truck driver."They were the most caring family you will ever know,'' she said.
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080209/NEWS15/802090375/0/NEWS0201
PS:With all the deep grief that this post produces me,I can still rejoice in the fact that this whole family went to be with the Lord....Praise God....!!!!
IF this would happen to you today that are reading-would you have the security to make it to heaven.....?????
As in the days of Noah....
