Rev. Jimmy Ingram, right, of Mount Peria Baptist Church, speaks with attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday. The church was destroyed in the April 27, 2011, tornadoes but will be rebuilt larger than before.RINGGOLD, Ga. — As the dark clouds held back the rain Saturday morning, members of two churches nearly 100 miles apart met in a parking lot off Sparks Street in downtown Ringgold.
Mount Peria Missionary Baptist members invited a church from Temple, Ga., along with the Ringgold community to celebrate a moment that represented healing.
After nearly a year, Mount Peria members will begin to rebuild the church destroyed April 27, 2011, when a massive tornado tore through town.
The Concord Baptist members from Temple drove to Ringgold for the groundbreaking ceremony because they had raised money for the struggling church to rebuild.
“This is a part of you,” Mount Peria Pastor Jimmy Ingram said to the crowd. “We’ve had people coming by since day one [to help us.]”