By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
GREENBACK (WATE) - It has been nearly a year since an EF-3 tornado touched down just outside Greenback on the Blount/Loudon County line.
The tornado left a large path of destruction. One of the structures it destroyed was Crossroads Tabernacle Church on Old Niles Ferry Road.
The tornado lifted the church's roof off, and slammed it back onto the building.
"I thank God no one was killed," said Pastor Gertrude Osborne. "They were hollering that night. I said well, let's not worry about it. God is still God. If he wants it back, we'll build it back. If he don't, we'll do something else."
Only a few months after the tornado, they were able to rebuild the church. Insurance only paid for a small portion of the rebuild.
Pastor Osborne says church tithes were able to pay for the rest.
What really helped was most of the items inside the church were untouched. Right after the tornado hit, church members took out the pews, the pulpit and the hymnals. Those items did not receive any damage and have now been placed in the new structure.
"We are really happy with the new church," said church member Willie Mae Woods. "It's not much different than it was before the tornado. But just having it back, after seeing what the tornado did to it, its been a whole lot."
There are still a few things that need to be finished, including completing the railing on the outside of the church and replacing the steeple.
Church members say the tornado made them closer as a congregation. "One thing it taught me is, you never know what tomorrow is going to bring," Woods said.
"God has blessed us miraculously," said Pastor Osborne. "We don't need anything. We got everything we need. The spirit's strong. People's faith is strong."
Osborne says church members built the church at that location more than 20 years ago.
"God has blessed us miraculously," said Pastor Gertrude Osborne. "We don't need anything."
