When the small earthquake rattled the area Thursday, Tim Dugger was working in the office at the First Baptist Church, where it felt like a car had hit the building.
The shaking jostled computers and lights and, it was later discovered, shifted the pieces of a 19th Century communion set inside a display case in the sanctuary.
“It was scary,” said Dugger, a deacon, who handles sound and IT duties for the church.
A further inspection revealed damage including cracks in the walls and ceiling. An electrician was called to re-secure part of a power line component that detached from the building.
The clothing closet ministry was closed and Sunday worship services canceled as the church works to bring in a structural engineer.
Deacons and trustees have planned a meeting for Sunday evening to discuss future plans.
Services may be moved into the church’s fellowship hall, which is part of an addition to the building that didn’t appear to sustain any damage.
“It may turn into a worship hall for a while, I don’t know,” said Dugger, who works as a vibration analyst for an Indianapolis company.
Crossroads Community Church, which has used the Baptist church’s baptismal in the past, is offering the use of their building for services.
Authorities were not aware of any other damage in the county, Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham said. The magnitude 3.8 quake was centered west of Bloomingdale in Parke County.
