North Carolina church Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Hispana is looking for a new home after a box truck ran off the road and into the side of its building on Saturday, March 2. The structure has been deemed a total loss.
Bienvenido Alegria, who pastors the Spanish-speaking congregation, told WBTV that the church has been meeting in the building since 2011. He is praying that an insurance payout will help the congregation get back on its feet.
Alegria also said he was thankful that the truck ran into the building on a Saturday rather than a Sunday. Had the collision occurred during a worship service, the people occupying the pews near where the box car came through the wall certainly would have been killed or seriously injured.
RELATED: After Tanzania Bus Accident Kills 11 of Its Missionaries, Group Reaches Out for Support
Instead, the building was empty, and no injuries have been reported.
Nevertheless, Alegria expressed that the loss of the building is a serious blow.
“Lots of pain in my heart, lots of sadness,” he said. “I feel destroyed.”
As Alegria spoke, he fought back tears.
“Right now we’re just praying, asking God that the insurance can help us pay for the loss right now for this building,” Alegria went on to say. “Right now we really can’t do much other than just trust that God will open a door for us.”
Bobby Dean McKinney, the 32-year-old man who was operating the box car, has been charged with reckless driving and driving with a revoked license.
RELATED: ‘He Feared No Evil’—70-Year-Old Pastor Shot While Trying To Stop Car Theft Before Church
McKinney was previously arrested in April 2023 and charged with several drug-related offenses.
