Moss Point church breaks ground on new building two years after devastating tornado

MOSS POINT, Miss. — Two years after a tornado tore through a Moss Point church, members of the congregation gathered to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter.

On Monday, the congregation came out to the same plot of land where First Missionary Baptist Church of Moss Point once stood, before a 2023 tornado came through and devastated the house of worship. The event marked the beginning of a new chapter for the church.

Church members and those in the community gathered on the land, laughing, singing and looking to the future, excited for the church’s rebirth.

This all comes two years after a June 2023 storm caused a tornado that ravaged the church, ripping off parts of the roof, busting out windows, and tearing out walls. The damage was too substantial to save the building, so soon after the storm, it was demolished. The lot is now empty and now, all that’s left of the church building is its people.

Deacon William Buie says he and his church family trusted that one day, they would again have a place they could call home.

Those gathered at today’s event say its not about the building, its about the people coming together to worship. And though they are grateful to have made temporary homes at nearby churches, they are excited to once again have their own space.

Construction on the church is expected to be complete within one year of groundbreaking. As of now, it is unclear when exactly that will be, but church members hope to be walking the halls of the new building next summer.