The Flood That Did Not Wash Us Away
Revisiting the Devastating 2019 Roof Collapse & Flood Five Years Later
October 25, 2024 / Story by Bobbi Kroll, Travis Park United Methodist Church historian
Completing the story of our church in 1991, historian Josephine Foreman wrote, “What will be the future of Travis Park Church?…The future will be in the steadfastness of the past, the singlemindedness of purpose of the present, and the spirit of expectancy of the people of God in this place.”
Throughout its history on a central corner in downtown San Antonio, Travis Park UMC faced obstacles. The record gives consistent witness to a response of steadfastness, singlemindedness, and the spirit of expectancy. One such recent event demonstrating those qualities was the roof collapse of an adjoining building within the church complex. Friday, October 25, 2019, was “a dark and stormy night.” About 1 am, church security guards responded to the sound of alarms. The Navarro Street Youth Building roof was collapsing into the alley behind the church. Additionally, “the collapsing roof broke the fire sprinkler line, triggering the alarm and causing major flooding” inside the church. Travis Park Church members Cydni Bravenec and her son, Paul arrived on the scene amid the fierce thunderstorm and poor visibility. They were tasked with finding the valve to turn off the water. It was difficult and scary, but they managed to find it and stop the water flow.
The end result was a collapsed roof and water cascading down each level of the church from the 3rd floor to the basement, including the administrative office area. By comparison, water flow into the sanctuary was not as destructive. Brock Curry, trustee board chair at the time, captured this “waterfall” event on video.
First responders arrived quickly and secured the area, careful of potentially dangerous debris that might still fall from the unstable structure. On Saturday, responders closed Navarro Street to ensure safety for both passersby and the integrity of the remaining two floors of the building. Crews worked to stabilize the walls and then provide a temporary roof.
“On Sunday, however, the mood was upbeat. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q donated 600 tacos to serve at the church’s Corazon Ministries pre-service breakfast for homeless San Antonians… At the 9:45 a.m. service, churchgoers clapped and sang along to worship songs [in Travis Park across the street]. Mayor Ron Nirenberg also attended the service on Sunday, addressing the crowd before the sermon. ‘The other night was a pretty difficult night for Travis Park Church, but the night is darkest before the dawn, and it is the dawn in San Antonio,’ Nirenberg said.”
After two weeks of hard work cleaning and drying out the church building, services were once again held in the sanctuary. Brock Curry expressed gratefulness for the staff, church members, hard-working professionals, and the outpouring of community support.
On this fifth anniversary of the collapsed roof and flooding, work is continuing.
“A place of worship is now a work zone. Travis Park United Methodist Church is undergoing major renovations. The long-awaited work comes after the devastation of five years ago.”
Steadfastness. Singleness of purpose. A spirit of expectancy of the people of God. The future of Travis Park Church continues to be shaped by the same traits historian Ms. Foreman pointed out over thirty years ago. Today, meeting in the Hotel Valencia while work on the sanctuary fills it with scaffolding, Travis Park attenders were asked what seeds are being planted now for the future.
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Sources:
We Finish to Begin: A History of Travis Park United Methodist Church, 78
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_was_a_dark_and_stormy_night/
https://www.tpr.org/news/2019-10-25/roof-collapses-at-travis-park-church-building-amid-heavy-storms/
https://sanantonioreport.org/travis-park-church-continues-worship-homeless-ministry-after-collapse/
Youth and Young Adult Pastor Shiloh Morris, Sun Oct 13, 2024 sermon; The Farmer and the Growing Seed