The Rev. Terrlyn Curry Avery woke up on Dec. 28, 2020, to the news that her church, Martin Luther King Community Presbyterian, was on fire.
The flames were mostly contained to the basement and first floor, but Curry Avery said the predominantly Black church in Springfield's Mason Square will need to be rebuilt.
A Maine man was arrested and charged with three arson attempts outside the church in December, but no one has been officially charged with the Dec. 28 blaze. Officials have reportedly said that fire appeared suspicious.
Luckily, no one was inside during the fire because of the pandemic, something Curry Avery sees as a blessing amid the destruction.
"We have been very much committed to understanding that we are the church. The people are the church, and that's a church building," Curry Avery said. "My message to them and my message to the community is really about — this is something that happened, and it does not stop us from being the compassionate people that we are, the committed people that we are to serve in the community. And yes, it has been a blessing that we were already worshipping online, because psychologically, we don't have to feel displaced by what has happened. We can continue with our services as usual."
We also heard from GBH News' Craig LeMoult on how vaccination centers are working to ensure no doses go unused or are wasted.
Click on the audio player above to hear the full show.
Segments:
Craig LeMoult - 3:13
Reverend Terrlyn Curry Avery - 12:41
