Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is exclusive to subscribers.

Grace Baptist gets its long-awaited FEMA grant, pastor says

Staff photo / Destruction to Grace Baptist Church is seen on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / Destruction to Grace Baptist Church is seen on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga. Staff photo / Destruction to Grace Baptist Church is seen on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.

By Andrew Schwartz 6 min read

The federal government has pledged about $37 million to help rebuild Grace Baptist Church and Academy, a ministry leader said, meaning more than five years after a tornado swept through the East Brainerd campus, construction could ramp up within weeks.

First, though, the design must be finalized. Construction costs have increased considerably since the vision of the new church and school campus was first developed, Senior Pastor Adam Love said by phone. The ministry is working with its contractor on some “creative” edits to map out a realistic project without any drastic revisions.

“It would have been nice to have received a little bit more,” Love said, of the funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “But we’re not going to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. And as an entity, we’re content with what we received.”

Grace Baptist gets its long-awaited FEMA grant, pastor says

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / The construction site of Grace Baptist Church and Academy is seen Feb. 26, 2025.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / The construction site of Grace Baptist Church and Academy is seen Feb. 26, 2025.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Destruction to Grace Baptist Church is seen on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Destruction to Grace Baptist Church is seen on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / After a tornado the previous April, workers began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / After a tornado the previous April, workers began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Broken bricks litter a staircase at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Broken bricks litter a staircase at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / Kevin Works Memorial Field is seen through the broken windows of a set of doors at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / Kevin Works Memorial Field is seen through the broken windows of a set of doors at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / A biology classroom is seen at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / A biology classroom is seen at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / A Bible verse is seen still hanging on a bulletin board outside of Upper School Principal Scott Hicks office at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / A Bible verse is seen still hanging on a bulletin board outside of Upper School Principal Scott Hicks office at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / An instructional skeleton is seen on the floor of a classroom at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / An instructional skeleton is seen on the floor of a classroom at Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / Mark Payton helps salvage items from Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff photo / Mark Payton helps salvage items from Grace Baptist Academy on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The school was destroyed when an EF-3 tornado tore through Chattanooga.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Construction workers plan the demolition of the church's sanctuary. Tyson and Associates Construction and Complete Recycling and Demolition began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020. The church and school were extensively damaged during the Easter Night tornado. The institution plans to rebuild.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Construction workers plan the demolition of the church’s sanctuary. Tyson and Associates Construction and Complete Recycling and Demolition began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020. The church and school were extensively damaged during the Easter Night tornado. The institution plans to rebuild.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The sanctuary's windows are broken to prevent shards of glass from becoming airborne during the demolition process. Tyson and Associates Construction and Complete Recycling and Demolition began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020. The church and school were extensively damaged during the Easter Night tornado. The institution plans to rebuild.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The sanctuary’s windows are broken to prevent shards of glass from becoming airborne during the demolition process. Tyson and Associates Construction and Complete Recycling and Demolition began the demolition of Grace Baptist Church on July 2, 2020. The church and school were extensively damaged during the Easter Night tornado. The institution plans to rebuild.

(READ MORE: Long-delayed Grace Baptist rebuild to resume in ‘very near future,’ pastor says)

The federal disaster relief has been long anticipated – and delayed. After the EF3 tornado struck the 17-acre campus on Easter Sunday night in April 2020, the church promptly moved to rebuild, powered in part by insurance money and an initial million dollars or so from FEMA.