Despite a year having passed since a devastating fire destroyed First Baptist Dallas, the church says it still has not received all the insurance funds needed to rebuild.
Earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported that First Baptist was nearing the end of the demolition process, well on their way to beginning the formidable challenge of rebuilding the church. However, months later, First Baptist Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress says just one-third of the money needed for the rebuild has been obtained.
“We had the plans… We have the architect. We have the contractor. But what we need is for our insurance company, Travelers Insurance, to live up to their responsibilities, which they are not doing right now,” Jeffress said in a press conference, per WFAA.
In July 2024, a massive blaze destroyed the church’s historic chapel. At the time, nearly 100 firefighters battled the blaze for around three hours to bring the fire under control.
During a service on Sunday, the church thanked the first responders who rushed to help save First Baptist Dallas.
“I want to thank the citizens of Dallas and people from all across our nation who have been praying for our church and supporting our church,” Jeffress said.
“We have beautiful plans for the rebuild of our historic sanctuary that has been a part of Downtown Dallas for 130 years.”
In January, the church announced that it would allocate $27 million as part of its reconstruction and enhancement efforts. As part of the plans, the sanctuary would be elevated to the second floor, allowing for a 500-person event space to occupy the church’s basement.
First Baptist Dallas wants to preserve the exterior walls during the rebuild, maintaining the sanctuary’s historical integrity.
“We’re not asking that Travelers Insurance grant us any favors,” Jeffress said. “We’re asking them to meet our… meet their contractual obligation to rebuild the historic sanctuary… If we followed the insurance company’s plans and desires, we would have to tear down these walls. These walls that have been miraculously saved by our fire department.”