SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. — Standing outside of Full Gospel Christian Center in Shepherdsville, you might not notice anything happening.
There's a burn mark near the top of one wall. The longer you look, you'll see a tarp covering a hole through the rough, about 10 feet in diameter.
Walk closer to the church, you might notice a smell in the air, like your clothes the morning after a campfire.
Inside, you'll find Pastor Tom Wolford surrounded by water-logged pews, bibles and charred ceilings.
A fire broke out during Sunday service.
Wolford said a woman walked up to the pulpit to sing, "and we hear a boom. I mean a loud boom."
They thought it might have been a speaker breaking, but as time went on smoke started to pour in.
"It's unbelievable what can happen in twenty minutes," Wolford said.
Shepherdsville Fire Department Assistant Chief Justin Newton said they put out the fire in about that time. He said an electrical issue is likely to blame for the incident.
"It all started back here," Wolford said, pointing to the singed hole in the wall behind the lectern. He grabbed a once-solid piece of wood from the wall and it crumbled in his hand.
He pointed up, to the attic once hidden from view by the ceiling, now charred and black.
But don't let the state of things fool you; Wolford said he and his congregation are blessed. No one was hurt. He said the rest is just a mess that needs to be cleaned.
"I knew no matter what happened that everything was going to be alright," Wolford said. "Buildings can be replaced but people can't."
Luckily, when he's not preaching, Wolford is a contractor. He said he's fixed buildings in worse shape than the church.
"The rougher it is, and I get finished, the better I feel," he said.
With holes through the roof, a ceiling in shambles, and water-logged pews, the church now holds a challenge Wolford is excited to take on.
"I tell people I'm blessed more than the rest," he said with a smile. "And I thank God for it."
If you would like to help Wolford rebuild, he asks that you send a check to First Harrison Bank and make it out to Full Gospel Christian Center.
► Contact reporter Tom Lally at TLally@whas11.com or on Facebook or Twitter.
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