A North Texas church’s roof collapsed under the weight of heavy ice and snow, destroying the worship space and leaving the young congregation scrambling for a temporary home.
Kingdom Culture Dallas in Cedar Hill lost musical instruments, sound equipment, LED screens, and other essential electronics when the roof caved in during this week’s winter storm.
The collapse deals a devastating blow to the church, which relocated from California less than two years ago and was still working to establish roots in the community. Now they face months of displacement while repairs are made.
“It’s a huge building, good portion, what could that mean, right? We were thinking a couple of kids’ rooms down, maybe lost an office or a bathroom or something,” Jaquet Dumas, a senior leader at the church, said, Fox 4 KDFW reported. “I don’t think anything could have prepared us for what we saw when we hit that doorway.”
Church leaders discovered the damage on Tuesday after being away since Friday’s storm preparations. They had left faucets dripping and heat running, but never anticipated the snow’s weight would bring down the roof.
“No way in the world did we think the weight of the ice would bring the roof down as it accumulated,” Sherman Dumas said, per Fox 4.
The pastors moved from California in 2024 after leading Kingdom Culture San Bernardino for 16 years. They purchased the Cedar Hill property, formerly Hope Lutheran Church, through nationwide fundraising efforts.
Insurance adjusters will inspect the building in the coming days. The church estimates it will need temporary space and rental equipment for at least five months.
Amid the destruction, one symbol of hope remains intact: the original stained-glass window from the Lutheran church survived without damage.
“To see it still intact just as that reminder of the Holy Spirit as that hope and that joy,” Dumas said. “I think our message is that there’s still hope and there is joy that’s still alive.”
The church plans to continue its community outreach efforts, including Valentine’s Day partnerships with local organizations. They’ve established a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for repairs and equipment. As of Thursday morning, the funding page had raised more than $17,000 of its $26,000 goal.