First Baptist Dallas will rebuild the historic sanctuary destroyed in a fire Friday night, Pastor Robert Jeffress reassured his congregation Sunday morning.
Thousands of people, displaced from their church by the fire, gathered at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center for services.
People got on their feet and cheered the rebuild plan so loudly they drowned out Jeffress’ voice.
“We cannot allow Satan to have the last word,” he said.
No one was injured in the fire that destroyed the red brick sanctuary in downtown Dallas, which dates back to 1890, according to Jeffress. It took 60 crews working into the night to put out the blaze, which “largely collapsed” the building, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue. The cause is still under investigation.
The historic sanctuary’s walls are still standing, but the roof is gone, and the interior is a mass of charred rubble.
The church would be “homeless” if First Baptist hadn’t built a new campus around the old sanctuary about 10 years ago, Jeffress said. The church’s newer buildings suffered only smoke damage, and Jeffress hopes to be back there worshipping next Sunday.
People have called to offer financial help following the fire, but insurance money will take care of the rebuilding, he told the crowd.
“It’s against the nature of a Baptist preacher to turn down money,” he joked.
Jeffress has also gotten calls from former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, he told the crowd.
Jeffress is nationally known as a friend and ally of Trump. Pence spoke at the church in 2020 and in 2023.
The historic sanctuary held more than a century of church history.
Five generations of Jay Sedwick’s family have attended First Baptist Dallas, he said. His maternal grandparents met and got married there. His father baptized him and his sisters there.
“I just got to preach my first sermon to the congregation in that room," he said.
Sedwick, who is now a minister at First Baptist, was at home when he heard the news of the fire. He drove downtown to be there with other staff members.
“While it is incredibly sad to lose a building with so much significance to so many, it's also so comforting to know that the church moves on," he said. “As you can see by how many people are already here, we will recover, and we're going to keep moving forward.”
Two thousand kids were inside the historic sanctuary finishing Vacation Bible School on Friday about six hours before the fire started, preteen minister Ashley Gross said.
She and her coworkers were cleaning up when they heard the fire alarm go off. When they stepped outside, they saw the flames and smoke.
Dallas Fire Chief Justin Ball told reporters Friday night he suspected the fire started in the basement and spread to the second floor. The basement held the church’s archives, Gross said.
“To lose that history is just really heartbreaking for us to see,” she said. “So we just kind of rally around our team, and now is the time for our church to come together and stay strong."
In a statement posted to Facebook Saturday, Dallas Fire-Rescue said the historic sanctuary may have to be demolished “if structural engineers determine the building is unstable.”
The rebuilt sanctuary will not be the same as the old one, Jeffress said, but it will pay homage to the church’s roots.
“We’re going to remember that historic place of worship and do everything we can to honor it,” Jeffress said.
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