The leader of a historic church in downtown Dallas, nearly destroyed by fire, assured congregants on Sunday that they would rebuild the iconic structure.
Services for First Baptist Dallas were held at the nearby Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress announced plans to rebuild the sanctuary, which is now a charred shell with ruined stained glass windows and virtually everything inside its brick walls destroyed.
“If we allow that thing to remain in ruins, it will look to the whole world like we’ve been defeated by the evil one, so we’re going to rebuild,” Jeffress said. He clarified that while they might not duplicate every square inch of the worship center, they would honor the historic place of worship.
Jeffress also mentioned that insurance would cover the rebuilding costs.
No deaths or injuries were reported from the blaze, which broke out Friday evening in the Texas Historic Landmark, a Victorian-style red brick church built in 1890. It took firefighters about three hours to contain the fire.
Interim Fire Chief Justin Ball stated on Friday that the fire appeared to have started in the building’s basement.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Capt. Robert Borse said Sunday that the investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, with no updates available yet.
