DALLAS — Days after a fire all but destroyed First Baptist Dallas' historic downtown sanctuary, Robert Jeffress the church's senior pastor preached a triumphant sermon.
"This last Friday night, it looked like the gates of hell were prevailing, that Satan was going to win," Jeffress told the congregation. "That was Friday night, but ladies and gentlemen, it is Sunday morning, it is a day of resurrection, it's not a day of death, and I am pledging to you we are going to rebuild that sanctuary."
Dallas Fire Rescue responded to a fourth alarm fire around 6 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Dallas Church at 1707 San Jacinto St. At least 100 firefighters were on scene for more than three hours, officials said.
The structure involved in the fire was a secondary chapel, officials confirmed. It most recently hosted the church's Vacation Bible School, which concluded Friday. It’s also used for funerals, weddings, and auxiliary events that don’t require the main sanctuary.
The church held its first Sunday service since the fire at 11 a.m. in the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. There, Jeffress also announced the church's intention to rebuild the sanctuary, although it might not be a replica of the original structure, he told congregants.
"We are going to rebuild it as a standing symbol of the truth, the unchangeableness, the endurance of the word of God," Jeffress said. "What I am saying to you is we are going to remember this historic place of worship and do everything we can to honor it."
No one was injured in the fire, officials said. Dallas Fire Rescue said Friday they believe the blaze started in the basement. Deacons told WFAA they fear the church’s library, beneath the historic sanctuary, has been lost. It held the majority of the Church's records, they said.
People in and outside of the church have reached out asking how to support the church financially as they prepare to rebuild the sanctuary, Jeffress said Sunday. However, the insurance company will fund the rebuilding of the sanctuary, he added.
Jeffress instead called on members of the congregation to recommit themselves to the mission of the church.
"Let's have the world see and say, 'what happened that Friday night was the best thing that ever happened to First Baptist Dallas because it caused them to double down on their mission and to grow like never before,'" Jeffress said.