Dallas Lutheran church worships days after building fire

The congregation of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Dallas on Sunday worshiped undaunted after a fire destroyed its building Thursday morning. Church members gathered in a small building next door for the service, according to local news. While the building remained standing, the fire destroyed the interior of the church and areas used for its daycare. Pews, musical instruments, and most other things inside were lost due to fire and smoke damage, according to church pastor Byron Williams. Photos of the aftermath showed the sanctuary blackened and strewn with ash and rubble.

No one was hurt in the blaze, according to a social media page for the Texas district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod denomination. The church’s daycare would typically have been running at the time the fire broke out, but it was closed due to winter weather, according to local news.

The congregation planned to rebuild, according to a statement from its pastor. In the meantime, the church was its people, not a building, he said. A fundraiser estimated its immediate costs, including assistance for displaced daycare staff, at around $100,000.

What caused the fire? An electrical short on the sanctuary’s stage started the blaze. Although the fire stayed mostly contained to the stage area, it caused smoke damage throughout the building, Dallas Fire Rescue told local news.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the arrest of an Illinois Lutheran pastor.