After suffering a devasting fire last year, First Baptist Dallas is moving forward with construction on a massive restoration project.
On Tuesday, Dr. Ben Lovvorn of First Baptist Dallas announced that crews have already made impressive progress on the 134-year-old institution.
“We’re reaching a milestone in this project. We’re nearing the end of the demolition process,” said Dr. Lovvorn, per CHVN Radio.
“Our crews have been here around the clock. All week we’ve had a crew out here removing pieces of the stonework by hand and by crane. Up next, they will remove the stone Bible and anchor. This should all be completed by the first part of next week. Then we will really be able to stabilize our campus as we look forward to the future.”
As detailed in The Dallas Express, the fire in July 2024 destroyed the church’s historic chapel. The massive blaze took nearly 100 firefighters around three hours to subdue.
Despite the overwhelming damage caused by the fire, portions of the structure remained salvageable. The church fought to preserve the exterior historic walls, ultimately gaining city approval to do so.
Despite the destruction, services have been maintained, using a section of the church unaffected by the fire.
“Thank you for your commitment to the lord… Thank you for your commitment to his church and the great work that he is doing here. We are excited to kick off 2025 as we don’t just survive through this, but we thrive as a testament to the glory of God and our salvation in Jesus Christ,” said Dr. Lovvorn.
The restoration project is part of a larger $95 million plan called “Mission 1:8 One Desire.” Under the plan, $68 million will be used to fund the ministry budget over the following two years. The remaining $27 million will support the construction project and enhance the church campus.