Update: Dallas Morning News reports, "At 9:46 p.m., more than three hours after the initial call, the crews had contained the fire. No injuries have been reported." An official told the paper that the building had "collapsed." Fire officials will begin investigating the cause of the fire on Saturday morning.
Original story:
First Baptist Church of Dallas, a megachurch established in 1868, is on fire. The church, which is located in downtown Dallas and is pastored by outspoken Trump supporter Robert Jeffress, has an estimated 19,000 members.
According to the Dallas Morning News, first responders were called to the church at 6:05 p.m. Central. Fire Capt. Robert Borse said they were met with 'heavy smoke and fire conditions involving the structure."
Forty fire units were dispatched to the church to battle a blaze that reportedly began in the secondary chapel of the historic church.
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews are battling a two-alarm fire at the First Baptist Historic Sanctuary in Dallas.
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) July 20, 2024
The sanctuary was built in 1890 and received a historical marker in 1968. It is the only downtown Dallas church still on its original site.pic.twitter.com/FGYJbIgW3x
Ben Lovvorn, executive pastor of First Baptist Dallas, told the Dallas Morning news that he was the last one out of the building and confirmed that no one was injured.
The historic brick sanctuary @firstdallas is on fire. Thankfully it appears no one was inside. Please pray for @dfrtraffic firefighters responding now. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the staff and members as well. https://t.co/NItg6x2ca1
— Clay Lewis Jenkins (@JudgeClayJ) July 20, 2024
Dallas Fire-Rescue responders are battling a chapel fire at the historic First Baptist Dallas church in downtown Dallas Friday afternoon, a spokesperson confirmed.
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) July 20, 2024
At 6:05 p.m., responders were called to the building at 1717 San Jacinto Street and were confronted with “heavy… pic.twitter.com/t5wJwD09Ii
Pastor Jeffress has been a key evangelical supporter of Trump and was appointed to his Evangelical Advisory Board and White House Faith Initiative in 2016. Trump visited First Baptist in December 2021
Jeffress posted to X a few minutes ago asking for prayer for his church:
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.
Jeffress spoke with the media briefly, noting that around 2,000 vacation Bible school kids had left the building not long before the fire began.
First Baptist Dallas Pastor @robertjeffress after fire at historic sanctuary: "I'm grateful that the church is not bricks or mortar or wood, it's people." pic.twitter.com/KM7Pnzkzko
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 20, 2024
Others are asking for prayer for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church:
Everyone please lift up our SBC family at First Baptist Dallas right now.
— Center for Baptist Leadership (@BaptistLeaders) July 20, 2024
Their historic sanctuary is engulfed in flames. The cause of the fire (or any injuries) is still unknown.
Pray for Dr. Jeffress, the members, & the safety of the first responders.
pic.twitter.com/5ndeHT0pVY
He recently reacted to the attempted assassination attempt on Trump on the website of Pathway to Victory, his radio and TV ministry:
I think Donald Trump has a purpose. My own feeling is God spared him for the purpose of calling our nation back to its Judeo-Christian foundation. Trump has said that very thing. You know, many years ago, I had a conversation with President Trump—then businessman Trump—and we were talking about the role of God in elections.
I said to him that I believed the words of Daniel 2: God establishes kings and He removes kings. Some people don’t believe God has anything to do with elections and with politics and with government. Make no mistake: God has everything to do with government. God cares about what happens in governments around the world.
Benjamin Franklin was a deist most of his life, not a Christian, but he said: “The older I get, the more I’ve come to believe that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall from heaven without his notice, how can an empire be raised without his aid?”
Related: "Intersection of Faith and Politics Podcast"—Spiritual Ramifications of Trump Shooting
There's no word yet on the cause of the blaze or estimated damage.
The Family Research Council reported earlier this year:
Over the past several years, Family Research Council has been tracking acts of hostility against churches in the United States. Between January 2018 and November 2023, at least 915 acts of hostility occurred. The types of acts include vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, bomb threats, and more.
In 2023, Family Research Council identified 436 incidents—more than double the number identified in 2022 and more than eight times the number identified in 2018. These findings suggest that hostility against U.S. churches is not only on the rise but also accelerating.
God help us all if this was a domestic terror attack. I'm on record as not being a fan of churches getting heavily involved in politics. Nevertheless, Jeffress and First Baptist deserve and need our prayers right now.
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