Ten months after back-to-back hurricanes, Florida church’s recovery continues
Sarasota’s Siesta Key Chapel is cleaned up and back in operation, but far from whole
SARASOTA, Florida — Nestled under towering palms providing a smattering of shade from the late-summer sun, Siesta Key Chapel is a peaceful retreat nicknamed “God’s Treehouse.”
It was just under a year ago the Sarasota church was in the throes of back-to-back hurricanes that brought high winds and flooding to the campus just over a block from the Gulf of Mexico. Late last October, when a delegation including Presbyterian Disaster Assistance staff and other Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders visited the Chapel, it was still in the immediate aftermath of the storm, with flood-soaked items spread around the church’s ground levels, drywall clear-cut from support beams at the water level, and fallen trees still leaning on the structures. Interruptions to electric and climate systems prevented worship in the chapel’s lush, woody sanctuary that houses a glistening Schantz pipe organ.
A year later, Siesta Key Chapel is cleaned up and back in operation, but still has decisions to make and rebuilding to do. In the video above or available here, Chapel leaders and staff talk about the journey of the past 10 months since Hurricane Milton compounded the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, the steps forward, and steps that still need to be taken. They also discuss ways the hurricanes helped guide the congregation to greater involvement in the community through their weekly beach services.
Siesta Key Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. Ruth Herron Smalt was traveling and not available when staff from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Interim Unified Agency Communications Ministry visited the Chapel in mid-August, but she shared some thoughts on the church’s journey:
“Siesta Key Chapel weathered two intense, back-to-back hurricanes in the fall of 2024, and, with the help of our PC(USA) Village — which includes Peace River Presbytery, PDA, and the Synod of South Atlantic — we are steadily climbing through to the other side of the storm.
“Our initial focus, along with attending to our congregation's safety, was to prioritize gaining access to our Fellowship Hall. As the only gathering place on the Key for community groups, we felt it was imperative to clear that end of the campus first before our sanctuary, to invite the community to come and meet as they were able.
“Large, fallen trees were removed, pathways cleared, and HVAC restored. Grateful island community groups found their way to our campus to regroup, count the costs, and find a way forward together.
"‘Who is my neighbor?’ looks like whoever is in need on our barrier island. Although our beach took quite a hit from the eight-foot storm surge, Mother Nature did what Mother Nature does and reconfigured the coastline. A new sandbar appeared, and formerly hidden rocks seemed to grow upward by the pier, while slabs of concrete from the small access road were standing straight upward.
“After a couple of months of recovery efforts, we were able to resume our Chapel on the Beach services each Sunday morning, bringing together church members, neighbors, and visitors alike to hear a word of hope and promise for the future.
“God is good, all the time.”
Read the account of last fall’s solidarity visit to Siesta Key, part of an extended PDA journey through five hurricane-impacted states, here. Learn more about the work of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and how you can become involved here.
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