SAXAPAHAW, N.C. (WGHP) — More than a year after floodwaters from tropical storm Chantal severely damaged a church in Alamance County, its congregation has finally returned home.
On Sunday, Aug. 23, Saxapahaw United Methodist Church reopened its doors for worship after a long recovery.
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“One of the shiniest and saltiest things I experienced this past year was on about day two after the flood, when this little white trailer came bouncing into our driveway and said on the side, ‘North Carolina Disaster Relief,’ and it had the United Methodist cross displayed on it. I can’t see anything more humbling, and yet I’d never seen anything more beautiful,” said Rev. Mandy Sayers, Saxapahaw United Methodist Church pastor.
That help came just days after floodwaters tore through Saxapahaw United Methodist Church in July of 2025.
“I think the hardest part was just seeing the totality of the devastation,” said Sayers.
It took more than a year for this congregation to return to services inside the church.
“I think our church has always known that we are more than our building, and also this building, contains a lot of labor and history, and there’s been a lot of weddings and a lot of great work for God done here,” said Sayers.
As their own building was restored, members continued worshipping at Concord United Methodist Church.
Reverend Mandy Sayers says, from the beginning, there was never a question of whether this congregation would keep going.
“You would think it would create a lot of uncertainty. It created no uncertainty at all. I was new to this community, and I was really amazed at the degree of faith and perseverance that everybody showed. Everybody just immediately set about helping. There was no real fear, no real turning inward, just turning outward and taking each other by the hand,” said Sayers.
The congregation enjoyed its first service back inside the building Sunday.
The place of worship was reconsecrated, and they are now shifting their focus to giving back to the community that helped them recover.
“We look forward to paying that forward to be a blessing to others like they have blessed us,” said Sayers.
The celebration of the return to the church won’t stop there. The church is planning a larger “big thank you” community celebration service for Sept. 13.