Historic First Baptist Dallas erupts in flames; Robert Jeffress says 'the people of God will endure'
A four-alarm fire Friday evening caused significant damage and a roof collapse to the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas in Texas, an influential Southern Baptist megachurch with connections to many prominent Christian leaders.
"We continue to praise God for His hand of protection on our church," First Baptist Dallas stated in a Facebook post Friday night.
"We are grateful that no one was injured today and are thankful for the first responders who helped contain the fire to our Historic Sanctuary. They continue working but the primary fire has been extinguished. One way or another, we intend to meet for church this Sunday."
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Fire and rescue crews responded to a call about a fire on San Jacinto Street at 6:05 p.m., and a second alarm was requested around 6:20 p.m., according to NBC DFW. Fire crews were still present at the scene Saturday morning.
It is unclear what caused the fire, and it is under investigation. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, the church's secondary chapel was impacted by the fire and suffered a partial collapse.
The red brick building, known as the church's old sanctuary, was built in 1890. It was the church's home for a long time before it moved to its new worship center about 12 years ago. First Baptist Dallas has been led by Pastor Robert Jeffress, a Fox News contributor and host of the daily radio program radio "Pathway to Victory," which is aired on hundreds of stations nationwide. On social media, Jeffress urged prayer for the 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," he wrote. "'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."
In an interview with Fox 4, Jeffress said that the sanctuary was the site of many personal events, including his baptism when he was 6 and ordination for the ministry at 21. The church had just concluded vacation Bible school with over 2,000 kids at the sanctuary.
"It holds a lot of memories," Jeffress said. "We thank God nobody was hurt. … I'm grateful that the church is not brick and mortar, its 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
First Baptist Dallas will meet for an 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday at the Dallas Convention Center.
The fire drew responses from many prominent Christian leaders and politicians.
“While our hearts are broken that we will never sit on these pews or stand in that pulpit of the historic sanctuary again at FBC Dallas we give thanks to God for the multiplied scores of thousands since 1891 who walked these aisles to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus,” O.S. Hawkins, chancellor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and president emeritus at GuideStone, wrote on X.
While our hearts are broken that we will never sit on these pews or stand in that pulpit of the historic sanctuary again at FBC Dallas we give thanks to God for the multiplied scores of thousands since 1891 who walked these aisles to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus…. pic.twitter.com/1PhOUN8t3J
— O S Hawkins (@OSHawkins) July 20, 2024
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted a tweet saying he and his family are praying for First Baptist Dallas.
“First Baptist is a historic church — the late Rev. Billy Graham was a member here for over half a century,” Cruz wrote. “I am confident God’s Light will shine down on the First Baptist.”
While the late evangelist Graham didn’t reside in Dallas, he was a member of the church from 1953 until 2008, when he moved his membership closer to his home in North Carolina, The Dallas Morning News reported at the time.
Denny Burk, the director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, wrote on X that he and his wife were members of the church before moving to Louisville. He called the fire a “grievous loss.”
“It was where we worshipped weekly when we were members. It had no sprinkler system and (I suspect) has long been a tinderbox,” he wrote. “The church had back-to-back historic pastorates in the twentieth century. Two pastors who each ministered for 50 years. Two pastors in a hundred years! George W. Truett followed by W.A. Criswell. Both of them preached in that building. Both of them towering figures in the SBC.”
