A fire overnight engulfed the historic First Baptist Dallas, which is pastored by Dr. Robert Jeffress.
The 4-alarm blaze initially began Friday evening around 6pm, according to the Dallas Fire and Rescue. Videos of the blaze taken by bystanders shows smoke billowing from the historic church which was built in the 1880s.
As the flames spread, the entirety of the historic structure was consumed with black columns of smoke billowing above the Dallas skyline. According to authorities, the fire has been contained as of Saturday morning. The structure has largely collapsed, which has caused many void spaces with “hot spots”.
The red-brick, Victorian-style building is a recognized Texas Historic Landmark. The congregation currently has 16,000 members and worships in an adjacent state-of-the-art sanctuary which opened in 2013.
Pastor Jeffress released a statement Friday evening saying:
“PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH.
We have experienced a fire in the Historic Sanctuary.
To our knowledge, no one is hurt or injured, and we thank God for His protection. He is sovereign even in the most difficult times.
‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ – Romans 8:28
We will keep you updated as we prepare to come together to worship.”
Ben Lovvorn is Executive Pastor and spoke to Dallas NBC 5 after firefighters contained the inferno..
“We also know that the church is not comprised of brick and mortar and buildings, the church is the people. And the people serve under the lordship of Jesus Christ. So, First Baptist if going to stand strong and we’ll be back together worshiping again soon,” said Lovvorn.
According to a statement from the church, “The Historic Sanctuary was a significant landmark in Downtown Dallas. It was the site of visits from Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. President Donald Trump visited the new worship center of the church in 2021.”
Fire officials and police have not released a possible cause of the blaze. Jeffress is a conservative and outspoken leader on key social issues of the day.
–Dwight Widaman