Presbyterian pastor whose church was destroyed by the Palisades fire reflects on loss
Despite tragedy, members of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church are taking solace in one another and in small acts of kindness
LOUISVILLE — For a while on Tuesday, Jan. 7, it was just an ordinary day for the Rev. Matt Hardin, pastor of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church. That changed the moment he learned that the Southern California campus was in danger of being overtaken by wildfire.
“I was in a meeting that morning (around 11:15 a.m.) when the preschool director came and interrupted me and told me what was happening, and I stepped outside into the church parking lot,” Hardin said. “You could see the flames just across the way, coming our direction, and the wind was blowing our direction.”
After the campus was swiftly and safely evacuated, “I ran on foot down to the local elementary school because traffic was all backed up, to get my two kids,” Hardin said. “My wife met me from her work at the church parking lot, and we all got in her car and got out of there, so I didn't have a chance to go home to get anything.”
Likewise, “I didn't have a chance to get anything out of the church — out of my office,” he said. Now Hardin wonders “If I just took another minute, what would I have done differently?”
Hardin’s church is one of thousands of structures that burned down last week after a series of conflagrations broke out in the Los Angeles area, killing at least 24 people and damaging or destroying thousands of buildings, including many homes and businesses. (Climate change is thought to be a contributing factor, although the specific source of the outbreak is still under investigation.)
“Although the federal government is going to cover 100% of the cost for the next 180 days for things like firefighter overtime pay, debris removal, temporary shelters, it’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles back to where it was,” President Joe Biden said during a briefing earlier this week. “So, we’re going to need Congress to step up to provide funding to get this done.”
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided grants and other support to three presbyteries in the affected region and has been meeting regularly with local executives who are assessing needs and compiling resources to help those affected. Earlier this week, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) issued a formal appeal, encouraging members and friends to support PDA’s response by giving to the ministry’s wildfire fund, found here.
On the local level and even abroad, Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, and individuals associated with it, have been receiving an outpouring of support that has taken various forms, from prayers to the use of a fellowship hall at a sister church to hold gatherings.
“The prayers we're getting right now and the support and encouragement are making a very hard situation a little bit easier,” Hardin said. “It really, really helps.”
And church members are thankful for their lives and each other. “We've been through this terrible tragedy together, but we're here to support each other,” he said. “You just have a whole new appreciation and love for them.”
Since the disaster, members have started gathering about eight miles away at Westwood Presbyterian Church, where Hardin previously served as associate pastor. Last Sunday, Westwood made essential goods — from toiletries and diapers to children’s books and stuffed animals — available to people attending the Pacific Palisades church. It’s also partnering with the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica to collaborate on similar efforts to help Pacific Palisades members and others affected by the wildfires.
“Lots of people are rolling up their sleeves and it's just beautiful to see,” said the Rev. Dr. Christine Chakoian, pastor of Westwood Presbyterian Church. Their handiwork serves as “a sign of the everlasting arms.”
Hardin is grateful for the small acts of kindness being offered by people, from churches to the broader community.
“It's been amazing the number of angels that we've each had put in our life by God through this,” he said. “Total strangers. People on the street giving us things as we're waiting in line” and even a pharmacist going the extra mile to provide medication. These are “just dear people.”
Many, like Hardin and his family, are evacuated from their homes as officials in the region continue to perform various tasks, from searching for missing persons to protecting property.
The two largest fires in the Los Angeles area, Palisades and Eaton, were still in progress as of Thursday, having together burned nearly 38,000 acres. The Palisades fire is now 22% contained and the Eaton fire is 55% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church burned down despite the efforts of firefighters and neighbors who tried to save the property. Though a manse next door that was not being used by Hardin remains, almost everything else was destroyed.
“We had a metal Celtic cross in our Communion table,” Hardin said. It appears “that's the only thing that remains — the cross.”
In addition to losing the church, several people have lost their residences. “We're into the dozens right now of members and friends who've lost homes,” Hardin said. “It's a very long list.”
As for his own property: “Our home is standing, which is good; I was able to visit it once for 10 minutes to get some valuables,” but “it's not livable right now; no one's allowed into that area right now,” he said, noting that the home is without utilities and is likely smoke damaged.
Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church is collecting donations on its website to help those affected to rebound. Even if people have insurance, accessing those benefits “might take a little time” so when monetary help comes in, “we're doing our best to get (it) in the hands of people who do need it,” Hardin said.
Meanwhile, church members will be continuing to meet at Westwood and take solace in one another. “It's worship, but it's also a chance for us to see each other, comfort each other and also get out important information and resources and materials that people need right now,” Hardin said. Check the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church website for more information.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of the Compassion, Peace and Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Interim Unified Agency.
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