ROANE COUNTY (WVLT) – On Sunday, a Roane County church honored the moms who helped pull its congregation through a tragedy.

New Midway Baptist Church burned to the ground on March 31st, 2008. According to Pastor Doug Henson, his flock’s mothers deserve a lot of the credit as they begin to rebuild.

"We're just holding onto one another,” he said. “In our church especially, mothers are a real strength that we draw from."

New Midway’s services now take place in its former sanctuary, still standing next door to the ashen remains of its four year old replacement.

On Mothers Day, Janet Pickett visited the church with her daughter, who is a member. In spite of being told what to expect, Pickett found herself devastated at what had happened.

"I couldn’t believe something like this could happen to God's house," she said. “I just couldn’t picture how it look in my mind.”

New Midway’s Mothers Day service honored that its congregation’s matriarchs have helped it move on, but Pastor Henson said even before the fire, moms played a big role in religious life.

“It's a day of saying thank to the ones who love us the way no one else can,” he said. “A mother's love is second only to God's love for us."

Pickett's daughter Jan Mincey said her mothers love has made all the difference.

"We talked about it,” she said of the fire. “Just being able to talk helps."

New Midway plans to fully demolish what’s left of the burned out sanctuary and start all over again. Church leaders planned to meet with the Tennessee Baptist Convention the week after Mothers Day to start planning the new project.

"The building behind us that burned was just a building,” Jan said. “It's not the church, the church is its people, and what makes a church is its people worshiping God."

Worshiping with her daughter in New Midway’s old building is what made Janet’s Mothers Day.

"It'll always be the same love with our daughter," she said, no matter where the service is held.