The Dallas community mourns the damage done to a historic church in a devastating fire Friday evening.
The four-alarm fire that broke out at First Baptist Dallas, a famous landmark, took firefighters approximately three hours to contain, per NBC 5 DFW. Little was spared by the blaze, which is believed to have originated in the basement for reasons still unknown, as covered by The Dallas Express. No injuries were reported.
Executive pastor Dr. Ben Lovvorn believes that the beloved building is beyond repair.
“It’s hard to see,” Lovvorn said, per CBS News Texas.
“My family’s been in this church for five generations, over a hundred years. I was raised in the sanctuary, trusted in Christ in that room, got engaged, got married there, so it’s a special place,” he added.
Established in 1980, this religious sanctuary in Downtown Dallas was visited by prominent figures, such as Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, and Donald Trump.
During a Sunday service at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, First Baptist Dallas leader Pastor Robert Jeffress promised his congregates that he would rebuild the historic church.
“If we allow that thing to remain in ruins, it will look to the whole world like we’ve been defeated by the evil one, so we’re going to rebuild,” Jeffress said, per NBC 5.
He confirmed that insurance would cover the costs; however, he warned that the new church would seek to honor, not replicate, the original building.
Despite a devastating loss for the Dallas community, the church continues to prevail and come together through religious services.
“We continue to praise God for His hand of protection on our church,” First Baptist Dallas wrote on X.
“We are grateful that no one was injured today and are thankful for the first responders who helped contain the fire to our Historic Sanctuary. They continue working but the primary fire has been extinguished. One way or another, we intend to meet for church this Sunday.”