PORT ROYAL, S.C. (WTOC) – A Port Royal church is looking for a temporary home after a driver crashed into their building.
For three years, Iglesia Cristiana Fe y Obras, or Christian Church Faith and Works, worshipped off Ribault Road in Port Royal.
The Spanish-speaking church with about 25 members met there every Friday night and Sunday morning, but now the place they used to call home is covered in rubble, and caution tape lines the entrance after a crash.
Officials say that an SUV was traveling down the road on Tuesday afternoon when the driver had a medical emergency.
The driver veered off the road, took down a nearby road sign, and hit the church.
It’s the second time a vehicle has hit this building.
The first crash was deadly nearly twenty years ago, but luckily, the driver in this one is expected to recover.
Pastor of the church, Harry Villacis, says that he is thankful that no one was killed in the crash and that it didn’t happen during one of their services.
“I thank God that it didn’t happen during a service time because we have kids, children that attend this church,” Villacis said.
However, the church is now in need of a new place to hold services.
“We believe that the Lord is going to provide us with a place to meet,” Villacis said.
And they are asking for another church to come forward to help.
“God is going to touch some of the hearts of the pastors of the churches in the community and allow us to use one spot in their facilities.”
Pastor Villacis was already looking to move to another location.
He didn’t have plans to do it so soon, but believes that this incident could be a blessing in disguise.
“I think it’s going to be an opportunity for us as a church to go out and not rely exactly on a building, a physical building, but we are going to go to the neighborhoods.
Pastor Villacis says that someone can reach out to him directly at (843) 557-3606 if they have a place that their church can meet for the next few months.
As for the building, it is owned by Old Fort Baptist Church in Port Royal, and the pastor there tells WTOC that he has already been in contact with the town and the driver’s insurance company to have the area cleaned up and repaired.
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