A fire destroyed one of Dallas’ historic religious buildings on Tuesday.
The Saintsville Sanctuary Church Of God In Christ went up in flames during the afternoon hours of July 18. The cause of the blaze is currently unknown.
Saintsville was created through the union of two churches in the Dallas area, the Wheatley Church Of God In Christ and the Haynes Chapel Church Of God In Christ.
The State of Texas purchased the land on 2200 South Marsalis Ave. in 1973 to serve as a state headquarters for the church and christened it “Saintsville.” However, the Christian church in Texas later divided into separate ecclesiastical jurisdictions.
About six years later, Pastor J. Neaul Haynes became prelate of the Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. He then merged the Wheatley and Haynes churches, relocating the combined congregation to the Saintsville Sanctuary Church Of God In Christ.
Now, in the place where the church used to stand, there remains mostly burnt debris and rubble.
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews responded to reports of a fire at the church around 2 p.m. on July 18, according to Fox 4 KDFW. Only two people, the church’s secretary Lynda Hemphill and a security guard, were present at the time.
Hemphill told Fox 4 that she had smelled smoke in the church as she began to leave.
“When I opened the door and picked up my things. I saw the smoke started to come through the area where I worked,” she said, according to Fox 4.
Triple-digit temperatures sustained at this point in the afternoon, combined with the heat of the blaze, forced DFR personnel to call six alarms before the fire was finally put out. Gurneys and rehab tents were also set up to allow firefighters to cool off.
Much of the church’s structure was destroyed in the blaze, with the roof having caved in. Reportedly, no one was seriously injured as a result of the fire.
Residents of Oak Cliff and church attendees have lamented the loss of a pillar in their community.
Leola Brown, a church congregation member for almost 50 years, said that despite the pain, the community will rebuild.
“It hurts,” said Brown, according to Fox 4. “But I know the Lord allowed it to happen for a reason. What the reason is, I don’t know.”
Officials are still conducting an investigation into the incident.
