Sanctuary soaked
ANNA — A wet mess has forced a change in Christmas weekend services at the New Covenant Church in Anna.
"As soon as we saw the windows fogged up, knew something was up," said church elder Jerry Sanchez.
The sanctuary of the church was flooded with at least four inches of water after a pipe burst. Members discovered the damage on Christmas night.
"When we walked in, we saw a lot of Bibles floating in the water, saw the roof caved in, saw water gushing out of the roof, saw the whole church damaged, and our hearts just sunk coming into our house — the house of God," Sanchez said.
He and others have been spending this weekend cleaning up and drying out.
They fear nearly everything will have to be replaced — from the church's Christmas gifts under the tree to computers in the offices and classrooms.
"It really broke my heart," said Pastor Ezequiel Olvera. "We all get tested, and I believe this is a test we're being put through."
The church had been raising money for expansion, plans that many fear will now have to be put on hold.
The congregation has been forced to hold Sunday services at a nearby elementary school in the Collin County community northeast of McKinney.
E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com
