By Baptist Message staff
DALLAS (LBM) – A fire burned the original sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, July 19.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the structure partially collapsed after 7:30 p.m., an hour-and-a-half after Dallas Fire-Rescue crews were called to the building in downtown Dallas.
Pastor Robert Jeffress told Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth that the sanctuary was the site of many cherished events, including his own baptism when he was 6 and his ordination as a 21-year-old. He expressed gratitude that no one was injured, including the more than 2,000 children who attended Vacation Bible School on campus earlier in the day.
The building was used as the sanctuary from 1890 until 2013, when the church moved into its current worship center.
“I’m grateful that the church is not bricks and mortar or wood,” he said. “It’s people. And the people of God will endure, First Baptist of Dallas will endure, and we thank so many of our friends around the country who are praying for us right now.”
