The lightning storm Wednesday afternoon fried the phone system for the First United Methodist Church in Gilmer,

“Yesterday at about 5:30 a bolt of lightning struck very near the church,” said FUMC pastor Ken Calhoun. “I know because I was stitting at my desk and it scared five years off my life, which I cannot afford to lose.”

He said he had heard that it also damaged other phone systems, including Gilmer Lumber. A spokesperson there said she thought it had been off, but she didn’t know how long.

“I have always tried to view our problems as opportunities, and since we are going to have to replace the system anyway, we are taking this opportunity and since we are going to find out what our options are with regard to a new system.”

He said he was planning to visit with an Etex Telephone Cooperative engineer to discover the church’s options and the costs for each.

He said the church currently has a Meridian key system which is longer sold and difficult to have serviced. He said that would it would probably be noon Monday at the earliest before service could be restored.

He invited those who needed to reach him to call his cell phone at 903-353-5201.