'Soot happens' becomes rallying cry for Primghar church
By Tim Gallagher, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, January 01, 2006
Boards have replaced some windows at the United Church of Primghar in Primghar, Iowa. The church, which was built in 1978, was heavily damaged by fire on Dec. 3. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
PRIMGHAR, Iowa -- The people at United Church of Primghar have lost their church.
But not their sense of humor.
They're printing T-shirts which they'll sell to raise money to renovate or rebuild a church heavily damaged by fire Dec. 3. The front of the shirts feature a quote taken from the Rev. Howard Campbell, who ended a Sunday service just hours after the fire with this explanation: "Soot happens."
The back of the shirts read: "United Church of Primghar: A Church on Fire for Christ."
"We're keeping our sense of humor," said Kim Puhrmann, the church secretary who is now working out of an old savings and loan site several blocks from the church. "We even have a drive-up window here to serve people."
How many Siouxland churches can say that?
The situation, of course, is serious. Following the Dec. 3 wedding of Tim Wittrock and Sherri Jones, the wedding party and guests retired to the American Legion in nearby Paullina for a celebration. The party was cut short when volunteers from the Primghar Fire Department were paged for a fire at the United Church. Firefighters from Paullina and Archer assisted.
Fire gutted the sanctuary of a church built in 1978. The state fire marshal estimated the damage at $500,000, blaming the blaze on a candle at the altar. The cost to rebuild or renovate could easily double or triple that amount. An engineer's report will give church officials a better idea later this month.
Whatever the case, the fire left this congregation of more than 300 without a home during Advent.
"We had church the day after the fire at the Primghar Community Building," Puhrmann said. "We will hold services there (in the future), but we had our Christmas Eve service at Grace Lutheran Church."
Worship on Christmas Day and today (New Year's Day) were held in conjunction with Grace Lutheran.
But the 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve celebration was reserved for the United Church of Primghar. As always, it was conducted by college students raised here.
"Our Christmas Eve service is always led by college students," Puhrmann said. "They do the readings; they light the candles and do everything else. We didn't know if it would happen this year, but the college students told us they wanted the tradition to continue."
"Our Christmas Eve service was different, but only because we were in a different place," said Darcy Gaudian, 22, a student at Drake University in Des Moines. "The pastor told us he was very thankful we were willing to come forward and do this."
Gaudian and her sister, Danielle, joined other college students in reading Scripture, helping with music and ushering worshippers.
Campbell delivered the sermon. Ten college students did the rest.
"They did awesome," said Puhrmann, who reported that Grace Lutheran was full that evening.
"The college kids were adamant about doing the service, saying they needed to keep the tradition going now more so than ever," she added.
"It's a tradition," Darcy Gaudian said.
And it ended the same way it has for years, with each member of the church lighting a candle and singing "Silent Night."
As the lights went down, I'm sure one could see "A Church on Fire for Christ."
The United Church of Primghar is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. The church has more than 300 members.
But not their sense of humor.
They're printing T-shirts which they'll sell to raise money to renovate or rebuild a church heavily damaged by fire Dec. 3. The front of the shirts feature a quote taken from the Rev. Howard Campbell, who ended a Sunday service just hours after the fire with this explanation: "Soot happens."
The back of the shirts read: "United Church of Primghar: A Church on Fire for Christ."
"We're keeping our sense of humor," said Kim Puhrmann, the church secretary who is now working out of an old savings and loan site several blocks from the church. "We even have a drive-up window here to serve people."
How many Siouxland churches can say that?
The situation, of course, is serious. Following the Dec. 3 wedding of Tim Wittrock and Sherri Jones, the wedding party and guests retired to the American Legion in nearby Paullina for a celebration. The party was cut short when volunteers from the Primghar Fire Department were paged for a fire at the United Church. Firefighters from Paullina and Archer assisted.
Fire gutted the sanctuary of a church built in 1978. The state fire marshal estimated the damage at $500,000, blaming the blaze on a candle at the altar. The cost to rebuild or renovate could easily double or triple that amount. An engineer's report will give church officials a better idea later this month.
Whatever the case, the fire left this congregation of more than 300 without a home during Advent.
"We had church the day after the fire at the Primghar Community Building," Puhrmann said. "We will hold services there (in the future), but we had our Christmas Eve service at Grace Lutheran Church."
Worship on Christmas Day and today (New Year's Day) were held in conjunction with Grace Lutheran.
But the 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve celebration was reserved for the United Church of Primghar. As always, it was conducted by college students raised here.
"Our Christmas Eve service is always led by college students," Puhrmann said. "They do the readings; they light the candles and do everything else. We didn't know if it would happen this year, but the college students told us they wanted the tradition to continue."
"Our Christmas Eve service was different, but only because we were in a different place," said Darcy Gaudian, 22, a student at Drake University in Des Moines. "The pastor told us he was very thankful we were willing to come forward and do this."
Gaudian and her sister, Danielle, joined other college students in reading Scripture, helping with music and ushering worshippers.
Campbell delivered the sermon. Ten college students did the rest.
"They did awesome," said Puhrmann, who reported that Grace Lutheran was full that evening.
"The college kids were adamant about doing the service, saying they needed to keep the tradition going now more so than ever," she added.
"It's a tradition," Darcy Gaudian said.
And it ended the same way it has for years, with each member of the church lighting a candle and singing "Silent Night."
As the lights went down, I'm sure one could see "A Church on Fire for Christ."
The United Church of Primghar is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. The church has more than 300 members.
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