First Baptist Dallas members hopeful after 'fires of Hell' devour sanctuary: 'Satan cannot destroy us'
DALLAS, Texas — The congregation of First Baptist Dallas gathered in the convention center downtown Sunday to mourn the recent loss of their historic sanctuary, though several members expressed hope to The Christian Post that God will use the tragedy for good.
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 flames of Hell'
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"It's like those flames represented the flames of Hell, and they were destroying the truth that I had banked my life and eternity on," Pastor Robert Jeffress told the more than 3,000 churchgoers who attended the service in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Sunday morning.
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 joy.
"This last Friday night, it looked like the gates of Hell were prevailing, 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."
"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, we're going to rebuild that sanctuary. We're going to recreate it as a standing symbol of the truth, the unchangeableness, the endurance of the Word of God."
THIS ENTIRE CHURCH IS BURNING DOWN OUTSIDE MY WINDOW pic.twitter.com/oUF9neaxEJ
— Amanda Milius (@AmandaMilius) July 20, 2024
"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 conclusion 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.
Jeffress, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, has said that he does not believe the fire was an arson attack, but he noted during a Sunday morning interview on Fox News 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 reiterated to his congregation what he told Fox News, 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.
WATCH my interview on @foxnews with @foxandfriends discussing the destruction of our Historic Sanctuary and the hope and resilience of God's people. pic.twitter.com/3yUvSHie7H
— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) July 21, 2024
"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."
Dallas Fire-Rescue Captain Robert Borse told CP that the investigation remains ongoing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI joined the investigation on Saturday.
'Shock and sorrow'
Jeffress expressed grief to local media in the wake of the fire, but noted that the church of God consists of souls, not a building.
"It holds a lot of memories," Jeffress told FOX 4 News of the sanctuary. "We thank God nobody was hurt. … I'm grateful that the church is not brick and mortar, it's people. The people of God will endure. First Baptist Dallas will endure. We thank so many of our friends around the country who are praying for us right now."
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
Multiple members of the church who attended the service and spoke to CP echoed their pastor.
Member Phil Tankersley said his first thought on learning about the conflagration was that he "can't wait to see how God will use this event to His glory."
"So much of our lives are part of a spiritual attack," he added. "Scripture tells us that Satan is roaring like a lion, looking for someone to devour. So that's why I choose to take events like what happened and view it from the perspective of what man intended for evil, God will use for good. And I can't wait to see how God will use this for good."
Member Bill Paschall said he was overcome with "shock and sorrow" when he learned the church had gone up in flames Friday evening.
"I've been here for many years, and I was married in this church," Paschall said. "I met my wife here, so it means so much. I think that we will see that we'll be a stronger body of believers when this is over."
'Satan cannot destroy us'
Following the service at the convention center, several somber-faced church members gathered outside in the drizzling rain a mile away to view the sanctuary's charred remains from behind a chain-link fence that authorities had erected around the scene.
Isabelle, a bystander who told CP she has been a member at First Baptist Dallas for four years, said the incident was "just heartbreaking, because there's so much history here."
"It's not just the destruction you see here, we had a lot of stuff underneath: we had a museum, printing room, the library, a lot of stuff that cannot be replaced. So losing all of that is just heartbreaking," she continued.
Cecily, who has been a member for five years, serves on the church's greeting team and remembered sadly how she admired the old sanctuary with a couple who were visiting from out of state two weeks ago.
"After the worship service, I saw them wandering about in another area, and they were looking for the old sanctuary," she said. "We just kind of stood there after the worship service to admire the building, and they were taking pictures. I'm just so glad that I was able to do that just two weeks ago."
Neither woman was willing to say the fire was a deliberate arson attack, but both said it was "definitely" a spiritual attack from the devil.
"Satan is on fire right now," Isabelle said. "Satan thought that through this, he would shut us down, but we just had a wonderful service somewhere else. We will never stop worshiping, because the church — like the pastor said — it's not a building. It's people. We are the church. Satan cannot destroy us."
"Satan can try, he can do all he wants," she added. "He can never shut us down. Ever."
Cecily told CP that she believes God will use the devastation for good.
"Somehow, God's glory is going to just be huge from this — huge," she said. "I don't know what He's doing, because this is just so sad, but it's got to be huge. If it's something so devastating, something so amazing is going to happen, like a phoenix rising from the ashes."
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to [email protected]
