A congregation in mourning turns to their faith and one another for
comfort one week after it lost two youth group members in a fiery crash.
The accident happened last Sunday morning on Chapman Highway. Members
of the Cedar Grove Baptist Church's youth group were returning to
Maryville for a Sunday morning church service after their weekend
retreat in the Smokies.
An SUV crossed the center lane and hit the church van head on. The
van flipped and landed in ditch before catching on fire. Two church
members died in the crash: the van's driver and church youth director
Jeff Trussell,45, and Courtney Kaliszewski,16, who was seated behind
him.
Ten other youths were injured. One is still recovering in the hospital.
Regular worship at the church resumed this morning for the first time since the accident.
"Our pristine world and lifestyle was forever changed. Just like
that," said Pastor Bob Lynch. "This is one of those storms that come in
life that really kicked everybody in the stomach."
Sunday morning the broken congregation mourned together and asked God to make it whole again.
"This is a loving church, we're a hugging church. And the love we have for each other will help us heal," said Pastor Lynch.
Pastor Lynch believes strangers' prayers are part of the healing process.
"I personally have had over 100 calls from other churches in upper
East Tennessee and other states. It's given us a chance to see that the
church is larger than just this little body," he said.
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