Astoria's Trinity Lutheran Church Struck By Lightning
BY DR. DAN MILLER

The thunder and lightning storm that dumped two inches of rain on New York City last Thursday night August 10 also left a historic house of worship in shambles. At least one bolt of lightning hit a spire of Trinity Lutheran Church, located at the corner of 31st Avenue and 37th Street in Astoria, sending cement blocks, stone and mortar down on to the steps which lead to the main entrance to the sanctuary of the Gothic style house of worship.

The Rev. Michael Church, interim pastor at Trinity Lutheran, said that while he was sitting in the church rectory he heard what sounded like an explosion. He ran outside to see a large crowd forming across the street from the church. Those who assembled in the pouring rain, some holding umbrellas to shelter them from the downpour, were looking up towards the Trinity Lutheran roof. Church joined them and also looked up to see that the spire on the left side of the entrance was gone. It had been knocked off its base and what was left of it was spread over the front steps of the church entrance and lawn below. One of the iron railings was also crushed by the huge chunks of stone. Church also determined that part of the Trinity Church roof was damaged as water was rushing into the building through a gaping hole opened by the falling debris that also hit the roof.

Trinity Lutheran Church was missing its left spire after it was struck by lightning on August 10. Rev. Michael Church, standing on the steps of Trinity Lutheran Church, points to some of the damage to steps leading to the main entrance.

Church, when asked if this was a sign from above, replied, "I'm not sure if the Lord was telling me to move on or to stay and help lead the congregation at their time of need." He added that he believed that he was needed even more now to stand with his congregants to lead them in repairing the damage to the church.

Residents who were near Trinity Lutheran Church when the lightning struck on Thursday evening said that they heard a loud explosion which made many feel the impact as if they were listening to loud music and the sound vibrated through their bodies. At first, many residents who heard the loud noise thought that it might be a terrorist attack. One neighbor of Trinity Church, a student at Queens College, was sitting on her stoop with some friends two blocks away and was almost knocked off the steps when the lightning hit. The student raced toward the noise and came across the Trinity Lutheran Church disaster scene. Diners at The Grande Cafe in Astoria, just one block away, were also shaken by the noise caused by the lightning bolt.

Church, who has been at Trinity Lutheran for only six months, said that the insurance company that covers the building had been contacted but he did not know when the roof would be repaired. However, he said, services would be held as scheduled on Sunday morning.

Church reported that roofers worked through the weekend to repair the damage to the roof and churchgoers heard the thump of roofers' hammers during their Sunday hymns. He noted that almost a full house of worshippers stood to give thanks that the damages were not worse.