A massive four-alarm fire on Friday evening inflicted severe damage and led to a roof collapse at the historic First Baptist Dallas sanctuary in Texas, a renowned Southern Baptist megachurch with ties to numerous notable Christian leaders.
In a Facebook post Friday night, First Baptist Dallas expressed gratitude, stating, “We continue to praise God for His hand of protection on our church.”
The church also conveyed relief that no injuries were reported and thanked first responders for their efforts in containing the blaze to the Historic Sanctuary. “They continue working, but the primary fire has been extinguished. One way or another, we intend to meet for church this Sunday,” the post added.
Fire and rescue crews responded to a call about a fire on San Jacinto Street at 6:05 p.m., and a second alarm was requested around 6:20 p.m., according to NBC DFW. Fire crews were still present at the scene Saturday morning.
It is unclear what caused the fire, and it is under investigation. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, the church’s secondary chapel was impacted by the fire and suffered a partial collapse.
The red brick building, known as the church’s old sanctuary, was built in 1890. It was the church’s home for a long time before it moved to its new worship center about 12 years ago. First Baptist Dallas has been led by Pastor Robert Jeffress, a Fox News contributor and host of the daily radio program radio “Pathway to Victory,” which is aired on hundreds of stations nationwide. On social media, Jeffress urged prayer for the church.
First Baptist Dallas will meet for an 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday at the Dallas Convention Center.
The fire drew responses from many prominent Christian leaders and politicians.
“While our hearts are broken that we will never sit on these pews or stand in that pulpit of the historic sanctuary again at FBC Dallas we give thanks to God for the multiplied scores of thousands since 1891 who walked these aisles to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus,” O.S. Hawkins, chancellor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and president emeritus at GuideStone, wrote on X.
“First Baptist is a historic church — the late Rev. Billy Graham was a member here for over half a century,” Cruz wrote. “I am confident God’s Light will shine down on the First Baptist.”
While the late evangelist Graham didn’t reside in Dallas, he was a member of the church from 1953 until 2008, when he moved his membership closer to his home in North Carolina, The Dallas Morning News reported at the time.
Read the complete story on ChristianPost.com
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