A Texas church suffered heavy damage Wednesday (March 26) when a fire swept through its educational building.
According to details from the Houston fire Department, the two-alarm fire broke out at Heights Presbyterian Church (HPC) in Houston around 12:15 p.m. (CST) and took 65 firefighters about 90 minutes to extinguish.
The blaze was contained to the educational building by two strong firewalls, preventing fire from reaching the sanctuary and office building that flanked the damaged facility on either side.
“These firemen did a fantastic job. They really saved us from further disaster,” said Terry Myers, an elder at HPC. “Luckily we had those firewalls that kept the fire out of the sanctuary, but it pretty well destroyed the education building. More than likely, we will have to take it down. We hate to lose that building; there’s a lot of history there. But it’s only stuff, it’s not the church. We can have services in the courtyard and that’s church.”
Alice Grabel, a longtime member and secretary of the church, added, “Give a lot of praise to those firemen. They worked under some difficult conditions – wind, rain – to protect those other buildings.”
The church was founded in 1903, and the portion that burned was built in 1910.
While there was no fire damage to the offices or sanctuary, both did have some smoke and water damage.
“No one was hurt, and that’s a good thing,” said the Rev. Lynne Buckridge, pastor of the 65-member Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation that averages about 40 people in regular worship services.
A time of prayer
Members of the church gathered with leaders Thursday afternoon for a pair of prayer meetings focused on rebuilding the education building and giving praise to God for saving the sanctuary and providing protection for those involved with the blaze.
“We also prayed for the possible good that can come out of this,” Myers said. “We want people to know we are here for our community, making them aware that God is at work on this campus, and that we are going to rebuild. Hopefully this is a rallying point that brings us closer together and serves as a bond that lifts the church up in our mission to bring people to Jesus Christ.”
Investigating the blaze
According to the Houston Chronicle, the building was empty, and the fire was reported by someone passing by on the street.
Myers and Grabel both mentioned seeing an unfamiliar person just before the fire occurred, and the church’s security alarm was set off at 12:10 p.m., leading to speculation that perhaps the fire had been set intentionally.
The fire came on the heels of the disappearance of some computer monitors and speakers the previous weekend.
According to KPRC-TV, the Houston Fire Department’s arson bureau investigated the fire, and determined Thursday that it was accidental, probably related to electrical problems.
Forging ahead
Some church members who spoke to KPRC shared their emotions regarding the destructive fire and expressed their intent to continue in their worship of the Lord.
“It’s devastating. I’ve been a member here since I was 14. I got married here in 1965,” Grabel said, adding that many former members had been to the campus to see the damage caused by the blaze. “My daughters have been married here. My kids, great-grandkids baptized here; it’s devastating.
“It hurts. It feels like a part of you is missing, and I think that describes the feeling for all of us. But we also feel blessed that God protected our sanctuary and fellowship hall, and allowed us a place to continue our worship.”
Debra Lewis added, “Whether we worship in the main sanctuary, the chapel or the kitchen, nobody is gonna stop our praise … nobody.”
Myers indicated that services would move forward on the HPC campus.
“We plan to gather to worship and praise God,” he said, noting that services would take place in the fellowship hall, which was not affected by the fire. “We’re going to take these lemons and make lemonade out of them, my friend. God will provide.”
Sunday’s service will be a joint meeting with Beacon Light Outreach Ministry, a non-denominational African-American congregation that also meets on the Heights campus. The two groups work together on numerous outreach programs to feed the homeless and elderly in the community, and plan to continue those ministries as they move forward, despite any setbacks that may be caused by the fire.
A spokesperson for New Covenant Presbytery, of which Heights Presbyterian Church is a part, said Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) had been contacted and would be providing aid to the congregation.
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Update: http://www.click2houston.com/news/church-sees-outpour-of-support-after-fire/25239286
You better leave PCUSA…
Some church members who spoke to KPRC shared their emotions regarding the destructive fire and expressed their intent to continue in their worship of the Lord.
“It’s devastating. I’ve been a member here since I was 14. I got married here in 1965,” Grabel said, adding that many former members had been to the campus to see the damage caused by the blaze. “My daughters have been married here. My kids, great-grandkids baptized here; it’s devastating.
reminds me of 1 Sam. 30:3-4:
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
As a result of this Amalekite revenge for being annihilated by Saul (1 Sam. 15) David was practically stoned by the people (verse 6). His failure to join everyone else in mourning the loss of his wives and kids made him a dead ringer for critism. For David’s ineptitude as family-man see 2 Sam. 11, the Bathsheva affair.