Members of First Christian Church were shocked to learn of the death of their former pastor, the Rev. Michael Welch, 51, his wife, Juli, his 11-year-old daughter, Hannah, and his 14-year-old son, Jesse, during an automobile accident Thursday afternoon in tornado-ravaged Macon County.

Welch's also died when the truck slammed into the rear of their vehicle.

"It's been devastating to our church," said Bedford County Register of Deeds Johnny Reed, a member of First Christian, who said that all four were killed in the accident. "He was a great minister, and his family was a great bunch."

Reed said Welch had helped to see his family, and many others, through various struggles and crises.

Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning told The Associated Press that a tractor-trailer rig slammed into the back of a van about 3 p.m. Thursday on Highway 52 west of Lafayette. The van was crumpled between the rig behind it and another in front of it.

Traffic was backed up at the time, according to AP, because vehicles were being routed around tornado damage.

Welch had become a United Methodist pastor and had been active in tornado relief in Lafayette following this week's storms.