Church Gathers to Mourn Loss of first Baptist Sanctuary

July 22, 2024 EMMANUEL ADEBAYO AJIBOLA

A four-alarm fire engulfed the historic old sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas on Friday, destroying the structural integrity of the oldest part of the church. First Baptist Dallas was founded in 1868, and its sanctuary was constructed in 1890. It is among the largest Southern Baptist churches in the United States.

The congregation of First Baptist Dallas gathered in the convention centre downtown on Sunday to mourn the recent loss of their historic sanctuary, though several members expressed hope to God even as the incident destroyed a lot. The pastor of the church, Robert Jeffress, addressed the 3,000 people who attended the service, saying, “It’s like those flames re-presented the flames of hell, and they were destroying the truth that I had banked my life and eternity on.”

During solemn but hopeful remarks to his congregation, Jeffress compared their sorrow to the “feeling of despair and discouragement” the disciples likely felt on the night Jesus was crucified, which he noted soon turned to

“This last Friday night, it looked like the gates of hell were prevailing and that Satan was going to win,” he said. “That was Friday night, but ladies and gentlemen, it is Sunday morning. It is a day of resurrection.”

Watch the video of the fire below ⇓

“It’s not a day of death,” he continued as the auditorium erupted in response and rose to their feet. “And I am pledging to you that we’re going to rebuild that sanctuary. We’re going to recreate it as a standing symbol of the truth, the unchangeableness, and the endurance of the Word of God.”

“We cannot allow Satan to have the last word,” he added. “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; we’re going to recreate.”

Jeffress also noted the outpouring of support, which he said he believes God will use to redeem the situation.

At the end of the service, Jeffress encouraged everyone in the room to join hands as they sang the doxology. As the words “praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” swelled from the congregation, most lifted their clasped hands in a show of solidarity and worship.

Further before the beginning of the church service, pastor Jeffress, who is also a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, said in an interview that he does not believe the fire was not a deliberate attack and that some have been mocking him for the fact the historic sanctuary burned to the ground less than a week after he claimed God narrowly saved Trump from an assassination attempt.

The pastor recalled to his congregation what he said in that interview and asserted the sovereignty of God. He also said that “God saved us” from a much more catastrophic situation because the thousands of children attending Vacation Bible School had vacated the premises hours earlier.

“This week, I’ve received several requests [from] some scoffers mocking, saying, ‘Last week you were up there telling everybody in America that God thwarted an assassination attempt. Where is that God now? Is that same God responsible for allowing that fire in your church?’ To which I say, ‘Absolutely, it’s the same God.’

“He is so powerful, so wonderful,” he added. “He can cause the worst things in your life to work together for our good and His eternal purpose. That’s the kind of God we serve.”. The Dallas fire rescue captain, Robert Borse, said in a Christian post that the investigation remains ongoing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FB