September 14, 2010

CHICAGO – The Rev. Gail W. Cromack returned Sept. 13 to Peace Lutheran Church, San Bruno, Calif., for the first time since last week's explosion and fire in a neighborhood there. The church building was not damaged and members are safe, she said.

Peace Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is located about one block from the explosion site.

"It's absolutely devastating. The neighborhood looks like a war zone," Cromack told the ELCA News Service. Nearly 40 homes were destroyed in the explosion and fire. One Peace member's home was damaged, she said.

At least four people died in the explosion and fire and dozens were injured, law enforcement officials reported.

Local police are using the Peace church building as a command center. Church of the Highlands, a large nondenominational congregation in San Bruno, is providing meals to first responders at Peace, Cromack said.

Members of Peace worshiped Sept. 12 at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in South San Francisco. It's unclear whether Peace Lutheran Church will be able to hold services in San Bruno this coming weekend, Cromack said, adding that several area congregations have offered worship space for members.

Nancy Nielsen, deputy director, Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, San Francisco, said the agency, working as a Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) affiliate, will assist the congregation and connect it with various resources as needed. LDR is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

"Our role is to be the church. We are helping them plan for the weeks ahead," Nielsen said. She said they have discussed possibly bringing in people who lived through and recovered from a much bigger fire in 1991, known as the Oakland Hills fire, to talk with members in the coming weeks.

ELCA News Service