NC Pastor Forgives Unlicensed Truck Driver Who Crashed into Church Building

A North Carolina pastor has shown grace in a moment of hardship after a truck driver crashed a big rig into his church’s building.

Father Bienvenido Alegria, the pastor of Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Hispana, was at his home only yards away when he heard the commotion. 

He rushed to the scene and helped the stunned driver from a small box truck wedged in the wall of the building. 

The force of the crash was so strong that the wall on the opposite side of the church exploded, leaving a second gaping hole in the church’s four walls, the New York Post reports.

Alegria told WSOC-TV he was heartbroken by the scene of destruction. The building suffered a huge hole with pews tossed everywhere.

“I was impacted in my soul,” he said. “I feel real, real sad. You go inside (and) you only see sad things.”

Police officers informed Alegria that the driver had a revoked license and no insurance.

Instead of getting angry, the pastor offered forgiveness and decided to look at the driver as if he were a member of his family instead of a criminal.

“I say, maybe my son or my nephew or somebody else,” he said. 

Later, he told the man who wrecked his church, “I love you.”

Meanwhile, a nearby church has opened its building for the devastated congregation.

They’ll be able to hold Sunday service there as long as their church is deemed unsafe.

The pastor of the damaged church says he knows the Lord will provide. 

And congregates have decided to raise funds through GoFundMe to fix the damage.

“We need your help to build a new temple, where we can worship God,” wrote congregant Chelsea Elaine. “May the Lord bless you greatly, we can not repay you for your generous donations but we assure you that you will have your reward in Heaven.”

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***