They See Their Savior in Buckling Drywall

c. 2006 Religion News Service SARALAND, Ala. _ Church members say a buckling of drywall in their flooded sanctuary resembles a crucifixion and works miracles. “You never know how he is going to come,” said Ella Roberts, pastor of the Triumph Learning and Worship Center for Life. “You can’t explain it. It just is what […]

c. 2006 Religion News Service

SARALAND, Ala. _ Church members say a buckling of drywall in their flooded sanctuary resembles a crucifixion and works miracles.

“You never know how he is going to come,” said Ella Roberts, pastor of the Triumph Learning and Worship Center for Life. “You can’t explain it. It just is what it is.”


The image appeared after flooding from Hurricane Katrina left the church damaged, Roberts said. Though the image is some four feet above the waterline, the spot looks similar to spots along the floor.

Church members have been using the image that they say resembles Jesus hanging on a cross as a prayer tool, placing their hands on it as they talk to God. Roberts said she experienced a miracle last week.

She said she suffered from extremely high blood pressure. During prayer on March 15, something happened, she said.

“There was a feeling I had never experienced before in my life,” she said. “I was shaking. The wall felt like it was moving. A chill came over me. I was cured.”

Recent tests have shown acceptable blood pressure, she said.

Some of the other 150 members of the church have similar stories.

Benita Bogan is a prophetess, a church designation that notes her spiritual maturity. Bogan said she was looking into getting a pair of glasses so she could see small print clearly. But after praying with the image on the wall, her eyesight is perfect, she said.

Others who have prayed report divine intervention cured ailments from depression to kidney disease.

Claims similar to those from the Saraland sanctuary pop up from time to time, said William Dinges, a professor of religious studies at the Catholic University of America.

“What’s important here is not what one person or another sees,” Dinges said. “The belief exists. The belief has effects.”


He said the Bible has many instances of spiritual apparitions.

In recent years, people have claimed sightings of Jesus on everything from church walls to burn marks on a piece of toast sold on the Internet auction site eBay.

The image in the wall has been a blessing, said Diane McCowin, the church’s musician.

“A lot of times we tell people what we believe,” she said. “They say God isn’t working miracles now like he used to. I prayed for him to give us something tangible.”

An empty picture frame hangs on the wall around the image. The church now opens six days a week from noon to 2 p.m., allowing people to pray with the image.

Another of the church’s ministers, Marlette Holt, said she believes this wall will change minds about spirituality. “It’s like God is trying to show people he’s real,” she said. “I feel he’s trying to open even the simplest minds.”

MO/PH END RNS

(Andy Netzel writes for The Mobile Register in Mobile, Ala.)

Editors: To obtain photos of the drywall image, including one with believers placing their hands on it, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug. If searching by subject, designate “exact phrase” for best results.


Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!