The Log House at the Community of the Cross has been the site of many personal and corporate encounters with Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit as well as precious fellowship with other believers.
On Monday, August 27, as Brad Long and Mary Ellen Conners were standing outside in the parking area, talking with visitors, they heard a loud “POP”, then saw smoke and later flames coming out of the Log House. See the video as they describe what happened that morning.
See the photo album:
We have put up a small photo album from Monday and Tuesday. See those images here.
Brad Long shares his personal reaction
“The Community of the Cross Log House was the place of so many precious memories, of hundreds of people having been filled with the Holy Spirit, as well as ministered to, and the extraordinary encounters with Jesus Christ that had taken place.
I was stunned.
We had used the place that God had given us to the utmost, even with its leaky roof and cramped space, but now it was all gone. But not the memories or the fruit in the lives of hundreds of people from around the world.
Another real blow was practical.
We lost all of our video equipment, our keyboard, drum, projector, sound system, and microphones. What we had accumulated over years, worth thousands of dollars, was burnt to a crisp.
How could we replace all that in time for upcoming events and also videotaping the Dunamis Teaching into Urdu and Russian?
The back porch at the Log House was our first building project
This back porch at the Log House at the Community of the Cross had been our very first building project, and our first meeting place under a tarp.
The sun porch had mercifully been built by a team from the Michigan Dunamis events. This was the birthing place for the prayer, equipping, sending work of the Holy Spirit that had launched the extraordinary ministries of Jesus Christ at the Community of the Cross.
We had outgrown this location and were earnestly praying the Prayer House into reality, as well as the other facilities needed to accommodate the rapidly expanding ministry.
Grief brings back precious memories of Jesus Abbey
I guess the grief that I felt as I looked at the charred ruins, of our beginning place, was comparable to when I went back to Jesus Abbey after an absence of ten years. I was stunned at the way Jesus Abbey had changed.
On that trip, the first place I went to was the old unused small chapel where Jesus Abbey had first begun in 1965.
This was where, as a teenager, I sat shriving in subzero temperatures, huddled next to the fire place, during dawn prayers in 1966. Those cold moments were my first introduction to vital faith in Jesus Christ and the is extraordinary experience of life in the Holy Spirit.
It was at this place where in 1975 I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and the Lord caught me up in visions that I have seen unfolding over the last 40 years including founding the Community of the Cross and PRMI’s global ministry.
I love that place! But it had all been replaced by large beautiful buildings. It felt to me like the nursery abandoned because the children had all grown up. But I grieved the loss of the birth place!
Forward-looking hope
As I looked at the rubble of the birth place of the Community of the Cross I grieved. But then I felt the Holy Spirit saying, “Grieve! But rejoice! I am building the Prayer House and the Community of the Cross as a center for extending my Kingdom globally.”
Here is some confirmation of what God may be doing!
One stunning image was of the projector burnt, but the Bible, the Word of God next to it, was preserved! (I just opened it for the photo.) I think the Lord was telling me something!
Another stunning image and one very hopeful to me was this one where the precious objects on the mantle of the fireplace were totally unharmed. The Menorah from Israel with the candles still in it, the Shofar, the communion chalices and most precious to me is the wooden carving of the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove, from Jesus Abbey in South Korea.
Both sides of the fireplace were charred but I believe the Lord used the stone fireplace to protect these symbols of our biblical faith, which is the heart of the ministry of PRMI.
Another hope and I believe prophetic image is the warped but preserved picture of the Prayer House that the Lord is building at the Community of the Cross for the future.
Next Steps and Facts
PRMI should receive the final report from the Fire Department and Fire Marshal soon. The insurance adjuster has visited. An insurance investigator is scheduled to visit next week.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined as of this publication.
Q. How much damage was done?
The back porch which we have used for teaching and meetings is gone. Damage to the roof, back kitchen, office/pantry, and lofts is extensive. Other parts of the house have suffered much smoke and water damage.
Q. What happens now?
We wait for reports from the fire department, Fire Marshal, and insurance investigator. Decisions will then be made about whether to replace the damaged part of the building, raze what is there and replace it or do something different.
Q. What about events scheduled to take place at the Community of the Cross?
We have already found alternate venues for events scheduled for this fall. Those who are attending those events will be notified and new event registration information will be available on the PRMI website.
Q. Will this affect the schedule for building the Prayer House?
We are planning to move ahead as scheduled.
Groundbreaking is planned for Saturday, September 29th at 2:00pm. Construction is scheduled to start October 2018. We do not yet know how work on the Log House might shift some of the work on the Prayer House.
Q. Can I volunteer to build/clean up or donate physical labor?
Until investigations are complete, we cannot do any cleanup or other work in the house. If and when we need help, we will let you know.
How can you help from where you are?
We know that many people who have been at the Community of the Cross, and even others who have not actually physically stepped on the land, feel deeply connected to this place.
The Community of the Cross does not belong to the staff, but the whole community around the world who have prayed for, given for, worked at, and had lives changed at the Community of the Cross. At a time like this there is a longing to know what is happening, grieve together, and help in some way.
What you can do…
1. Pray
- Quick arrival of new equipment. We need to replace the sound system and related equipment and video equipment to be used within the next few weeks. In addition to a Dunamis Project, we are scheduled to videotape a Dunamis in Urdu and in Russian this fall.
- For wisdom and discernment for those investigating the fire, from the fire department and insurance adjusters.
- For staff who have meetings and information to gather for insurance, arrangements to make and equipment to order for upcoming events, questions to answer for all our people. We need the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to walk through all of this.
- For those who are involved in making decisions about the fate of the Log House
- If you receive discernment to share, email martinb@prmi.org
2. Share your memories of the Log House
Share your thoughts and memories of your encounters with Jesus with the rest of the Community.
Here are three ways for you can do this:
- Leave a comment at the end of this article.
- Email your story in a Word Doc to adam@prmi.org . We will be collecting and sharing the stories online. To help you get started you could answer one or both of these questions:
- How did you meet Jesus at the Community of the Cross?
- What special memory do you have related to the Log House?
- Within the next 10 days, make a 2-3 minute video selfie answering those same questions:
- How did you meet Jesus at the Community of the Cross?
- What special memory do you have related to the Log House?
- Upload it to prmi.org/uploadphotos
3. Give
We have good insurance coverage, but payments may not be received for some time and there are always items that are not covered. You can always give to PRMI at prmi.org/donate
One final note:
Continue to join us in thanking God for his protection – no one was in the house when the fire started, but staff were onsite to notify the fire department. We will let you know other ways that the Lord blessed us in the midst of this trial.
See the photo album:
We have put up a small photo album from Monday and Tuesday. See those images here.
