The Grady County Board of Commissioners has agreed to assist a local congregation in recovering from a devastating fire that destroyed the church fellowship hall and caused serious damage to the main sanctuary.
Woodland United Methodist Church caught fire the night of Sept. 17. The cause was determined to be an electrical short. The fellowship hall is a total loss and flames managed to char the attic beams above the sanctuary, so a new roof is a likely need.
Grady County road superintendent Stanley Elkins, who grew up in the church and is a member of Woodland, made a request of the board for assistance during the commission meeting Tuesday morning.
According to Elkins, the county has assisted other churches in the past. On behalf of Woodland United Methodist Church, Elkins was asking permission for county crews to assist in razing the destroyed fellowship hall and assisting in the clean up of the site.
“I don’t know if the plan is to keep the slab, but if not that would be no problem,” Elkins said.
“If we’ve done it in the past I see no reason we not continue to do so,” Grady County administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, said Tuesday.
Commission Chairwoman LaFaye Copeland said she did not see a problem and Commissioner Ray Prince said the county would do what the church needed done.
In the meantime, the Woodland congregation is worshiping with members of Bold Springs United Methodist Church.
