Fire at the Log House

Lord! What are you doing?

That was my question as I watched the back part of the Log House go up in flames.

Here is a movie clip that Mary Ellen and I made telling what happened and the confusing and surprising reactions that we had, as we felt both Satan’s attack but also the protecting upholding guiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of this disaster.

Here is a glimpse of the back which was completely destroyed.   It was out of focus! (I rushed in and took the picture I was not supposed to be there.) But I wanted to show you the firemen still at work.

When Diane McFerrin saw the damage, she burst into tears.  Her paintings had adorned the walls of the Log house. That was my response later too!

This was the place of so many precious memories of hundreds of people having been filled with the Holy Spirit, as well as ministered too, the extraordinary encounters with Jesus Christ that had taken place, I was stunned.

We had used, to the utmost, the place that God had given us, even with its leaky roof and cramped space. Now it was all gone, but not the memories or the fruit in the lives of hundreds of people from around the world.

Another real blow was practical. All of our video studio equipment, our keyboard, a set of drums, projector, sound system, expensive video cameras, recording equipment, microphones, computers, accumulated over several years and worth 1000’s of dollars were burnt to a crisp.

How can we replace all that in time for upcoming events and also videotaping the Dunamis Teaching into Urdu and Russian?

This back porch at the Log House at the Community of the Cross had been our very first building project. It was at first a meeting place under a tarp on the back porch which kept collapsing every time it rained.   The sun porch had mercifully been built by a team from the Michigan Duanmis events.

This was the was the birthing place for the prayer, equipping, sending work of the Holy Spirit that had launched the extraordinary ministries of Jesus Christ at the Community of the Cross.   We had outgrown this location and are earnestly praying in the Prayer House and the other facilities needed to accommodate the rapidly expanding ministry.

I guess the grief that I felt as I looked at the charred ruins, of our beginning place, was comparable to when I went back to Jesus Abby after an absence of ten years.  I was stunned at the way the place had changed.   The first place I went to was the old unused small chapel where Jesus Abbey had first begin in 1965.

As a teenager, I had sat shriving in subzero temperatures, huddled next to the fireplace, during dawn prayers in 1966.  This was my first introduction to vital faith in Jesus Christ and the extraordinary experience of life in the Holy Spirit.

It was here that in 1975 I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and the Lord caught me up in visions that I have seen unfolding over the last 40 years including founding the Community of the Cross and PRMI’s global ministry.

I love that place!  But it had all been replaced by large beautiful buildings.  It felt to me like the nursery abandoned because the children had all grown up. But I grieved the loss of the birthplace!

As I looked at the rubble of the birthplace of the Community of the Cross I grieved.  But then I felt the Holy Spirit saying, “Grieve!  But rejoice! I am building the Prayer House and the Community of the Cross as a center for extending my Kingdom globally.”

Here is some confirmation of what God may be doing!  One stunning image was of the projector burnt, but the Bible the Word of God next to it, was preserved! (I just opened it.) I think the Lord is telling us something!

Another stunning image, one very hopeful to me, was the precious objects on the mantle of the fireplace. They were totally unharmed. The Menorah from Israel with the candles still in it, the Shofar, the communion chalices and most precious to me, the wood carving of the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove which came from Jesus Abbey in South Korea.

Both sides of the fireplace were charred. But I believe the Lord used the stone fireplace to protect these symbols of our biblical faith, which is the heart of the ministry of PRMI.

Another hope and I believe a prophetic image is that warped but preserved picture of the prayer House that the Lord is building at the Community of the Cross for the future.

You can see more pictures from the log house in this photo album.

Three ways you can respond

1. Please share any discernment the Lord is giving you. You can email that discernment to Martin at martinb@prmi.org
2. Do you have a story of how the back porch and the log house has impacted your walk with the Lord? We would love to hear your story. Please email Martin at martinb@prmi.org
3. Please pray for us.

How you can pray…

• First of all, give thanks and praise to God for his protection and covering during the events of the fire.
• Praise the Lord for the quick response of the firefighters.
• Pray for the whole Dunamis Fellowship as we grieve the loss of this building.
• Pray for wisdom and strength for the leadership team as they move into the slow process of dealing with the insurance processes.
• Pray for the team as they make decisions and find places to hold events while restoration is underway.
• Pray for the Lord to provide the financial provision to get the prayer house built as quickly as possible.
• Pray for the general finances of the ministry. Equipment will need to be replaced before the insurance money will be paid out.
• Pray that God would work all things for the good.
• Pray that in everything Jesus Christ would be exalted, and God glorified.

If you wish to contribute financially to support PRMI at this time, here is the link to make your gift online.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of this ministry.

In Christ,

Brad Long with Martin Boardman