First Baptist Church on St. Clair in Frankfort, Kentucky, was met with a shock in 2025 when a historic flood waterlogged its building on the banks of the Kentucky River. According to pastor Amanda Smith, long-time congregants who had prepared the building for previous floods knew what to do.
During the flood, members arrived to move furniture and supplies to higher floors as water lapped at the stairs. They took to the sanctuary and to save the pews from water damage, hoisted them onto folding chairs.
In the following months, pastoral staff, custodial workers, members and friends assessed the damage, coordinated maintenance, and began repairs. Smith recalls that “our community was so eager to help us.” This was no short-term project, yet the family of faith persisted.
The building still needs work. This month, it is undergoing electrical repairs that will take three weeks to complete.
Church ministers realized they would need to close the building completely during this time. Yet they wanted to make sure their faith community was still cared for while they were out of their usual space.
So, First Baptist reached out to its network of local churches for help. Several other churches extended a warm welcome. First United Methodist Church let First Baptist use its contemporary worship space for Sunday services, and Immanuel Baptist Church offered its Sunday school rooms as office space.
Several capable First Baptist members aided with the logistics of moving necessary devices and transferring the office phone. The church is glad to continue taking benevolence and inquiry calls from its temporary location. Congregants also took time during the last October service in their building to gather hymnals, a regular part of their worship.
The pastoral staff’s creativity and flexibility have helped the congregation flourish amid changing circumstances. Congregants have been able to participate in Sunday services, weekly activities, and an ongoing advocacy study. In turn, several church members have made sure to look out for their pastoral staff, thoughtfully bringing meals and drinks, or just stopping to say hello.
This church carries the same teamwork, grace, and dedication beyond its physical home base. They show that a community faithful to one another enables resiliency.
This community extends well beyond their congregation. First Baptist has befriended many neighboring congregations and organizations in Frankfort, which in turn offer care in times of need.
Pastor Amanda expresses gratitude for these relationships and the recent support FBC has received. “I’m really grateful for all the people who care about us and care about our ministry,” she said.
The temporary move has also given First Baptist the chance to get to know some of these neighbors better. Though a strong network of ministers exists throughout the city, they have been getting a closer look at one another’s day-to-day.
Beth VanPelt, minister of music at FBC, says, “It’s been a really exciting opportunity to see the ministries of the other churches.” “It’s encouraging,” she says. “It gives me hope.”
The staff at First Baptist Church on St. Clair will return to their home location at the start of November. They are thankful to return to their familiar setup and aim to keep serving the Frankfort area.
The completion of electrical work will also reopen the Frankfort Mission Clinic, a free community healthcare service located inside the church building.
Additionally, the church’s volunteer-run clothes closet, which provides free clothes to anyone in need, will reopen and accept donations. In past years, the Frankfort community has donated thousands of items of clothing, including coats and jackets, and the church is overjoyed to offer this opportunity again as winter approaches.
First Baptist Church has shown itself to be bold in cultivating a strong community. This difficult work has allowed faith families across the city to connect, inspire, and love collectively.
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Tracy Mandl is a graduate from Georgetown College with a degree in religion and communication. Tracy is also the Fall 2026 Intern for Good Faith Media.