While an EF-2 tornado tore through downtown Wetumpka on Saturday and seriously damaged or destroyed dozens of buildings, it could not shake the faith of one local pastor.
Even with his beloved First Presbyterian Church in Wetumpka turned to rubble, Pastor Jonathan Yarboro was able to find a sign from above and then enthusiastically share his testimony.
In videos posted on Twitter by reporters at the scene, Yarboro can be seen walking on the debris-covered remnants of part of the church building. A firefighter then walks up to him with an amazing discovery – something that was unscathed by the tornado’s wrath: his standup bass.
Johnathan Yarboro, the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Wetumpka proclaims “God is good all the time“ after the local fire department recovered his stand up bass (her name is Bertha by the way!) ?? #ALwx • @wsfa12news pic.twitter.com/FJZcYVcUYu
— Amanda Curran ☼ (@WSFA_Amanda) January 20, 2019
AMAZING! A pastor at First Presbyterian Church was desperately looking for his standup bass among the rubble after this storm…and he FOUND IT untouched! @WVTM13 pic.twitter.com/QhnGpWDPuO
— Mary O’Connell (@MaryWVTM13) January 20, 2019
While the very foundation of the building – which had stood over 150 years – was almost torn from the ground, Yarboro’s faith remained unshakable.
“Maybe this is a testament to God’s sense of humor and spirit that all will be made well,” Yarboro told WVTM.
Indeed, this terrible tragedy is just bringing the community – and the pastor’s congregants – closer together.
“Yeah, we love the building, and that’s a special place, but that’s not what makes it the church,” Yarboro told WSFA.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
