It was just after 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2024, when flames tore through the sanctuary of Kamloops United. “Michael, the church is on fire,” said a staff member who phoned senior minister Rev. Michael Caveney. The minister was only five minutes away.
“It has to be a joke,” Caveney says he thought when he first heard the church was burning. But when he turned the corner and saw flames erupting from the roof, reality hit hard. “A big fireball blew out of the sanctuary,” he recalls. One of the first things he did was to comfort the other staff while holding back his tears.
It took three to four hours for firefighters to get the blaze under control. About 100 people gathered across the street, both parishioners and the wider community. They hugged, held hands and prayed with Caveney.
Then, the minister shifted gears. Where were they going to worship on Sunday? How were they going to continue to feed the up to 300 people they feed every Sunday afternoon as part of the PIT Stop program?
The fire, caused by an electrical fault, destroyed the sanctuary. But the community pulled together and became stronger. In November 2023, Kamloops United amalgamated with two other churches, and the congregation is now leasing worship and office space from the organization that owns one of the former churches’ buildings. Food for the PIT Stop program is distributed at a local Anglican church.
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The church continued its existing programs — and launched new ones, including Theology on TAP, led by minister of community life, Rev. Andrew McPherson, which brings faith conversations into unconventional spaces, like local bars.
The church also launched a book study in partnership with a local Catholic church, a Messy Church program and jazz vespers, using the music of the church’s talented jazz musicians to deliver the Gospel message.
And in early May, The completion date is still unknown, as is the full cost of repairs.
Kamloops United welcome coordinator Shakshi Paul says her role became even more important after the fire as parishioners wanted someone to talk to. But she says that she and other staff were grieving too. “There were days of exhaustion, grief and mourning the loss of our beloved sanctuary and home,” she says.
Caveney says the experience taught the congregation to “trust God’s spirit to lead us through. The fire strengthened us because it has shown us that even though terrible things can happen, with God’s help, we’re capable.”
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Avil Beckford is the founder of The Invisible Mentor, The Art of Learning Leadership Academy and The One Problem podcast. She’s the author of Leadership Reading: Spilling the Tea on How Top Leaders Read. Beckford lives in Toronto.
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