Yellow caution tape still fluttered in the breeze near Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on First Street, SW, on Monday.
When Pastor Antonio Logan walked inside the church, he could clearly see the damage caused by the ceiling that fell on parishioners during Sunday's service.
The wooden frame of the ceiling was exposed near the back of the church, above the last few rows of pews. One large section of ceiling still dangled 20 feet in the air, caught in a light fixture.
Pieces of greenish-blue insulation floated to the ground and lay in small chunks around stairwells. Festive purple bows still marked the front pew, where honored guests sat Sunday — high school graduates and service members, who were to be recognized.
About 150 people were at the service, which began at 11 a.m. Parishioners had begun taking up money for collection when part of the ceiling inside the sanctuary collapsed, sending 12 to the hospital.
"I looked up, and something fell with no warning," Logan said. "We were terrified. I was concerned if people were hurt. My jaw just dropped. It's a miracle no one was killed."
Carolyn Williamson was taken to the hospital. Sitting in the back of the church on Sunday, she said she was covered in debris when the ceiling fell.
"It hit me on the side of my head and shoulder," she said. "I was out for just a second. It happened all of a sudden."
After being released from the hospital, she returned to the church on Monday to retrieve some personal belongings.
Logan said Monday all 12 people have since been treated and released from the hospital.
He praised the firefighters, EMS workers and police for their quick actions.
The church building is temporarily closed while Catawba County building inspectors decide if it is safe for people to go back inside.
"We're having the ceiling material tested to be sure we're not dealing with asbestos," said Joel Herman, the interim chief of building services for Catawba County. "If it is, we'll have it abated. If not, we'll have the structure evaluated."
It can take as long as seven to 10 days for the test to come back. If the church paid additional money to expedite the test results, they can come back in 48 hours.
Because Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was built in 1958, Herman said he's afraid the church may have asbestos inside. He said that was the primary year asbestos was used.
"If it has it, a contractor will have to go in and get rid of it," Herman said.
Even if there is no asbestos, he said the church's best bet might be to remove the ceiling.
Herman is still unsure why the ceiling fell. Building inspectors do not check a structure every year.
"Unless a building was renovated, we don't inspect it," he said. "We still don't know why it happened. Once we get a report of why it happened, we'll look a little closer at the building."
Herman did rule out rain as a potential cause, saying there was no sign of the ceiling being wet.
Logan said he hopes to know soon what caused the ceiling to fall, and what can be done to repair it.
In the meantime, he will figure out where Friendship Missionary Baptist Church can hold its services.
"We've had calls from several churches to see if we need help, and we can hold services at their locations," Logan said. "It shows humanity, Christianity. Reaching out is what life is all about. The church is just a building."
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