The fire that gutted the historic Baptist Temple Church on Third Avenue caused such enormous damage that the pastors plan to hold today’s services in the parking lot.
The July 7 fire broke out in an old organ pipe, sparking a massive conflagration that required 138 firefighters to put out. The FDNY arrived at blaze at 11:23 pm, and had to call for backup twice before smokeaters got the fire under control at around 2 am. Four firefighters were hurt in the process.
Senior pastor Edwin Colon called the damage a “devastating blow,” and said that the majority of the destruction took place in the sanctuary in the upper right portion of the building.
There was also so much smoke that firefighters were forced to bash through stained glass windows in the 116-year-old church, a crucial meeting place for the Downtown Brooklyn faithful.
“This is our home base, where we have our soup kitchen for the poor, 12-step meetings for those suffering with addiction, as well as services,” Colon said. “This is very difficult for us to deal with.”
Colon estimated that the repair process will cost upwards of $1 million, and has been reaching out to the community for donations. The pastor said that the church’s interior was so deeply affected that there will be no service in the upstairs part of the building for a very long time.
Short-term prospects are dim as well. Church officials said that the inside of the church is so contaminated with smoke that there is no chance that today’s service will be held inside.
“Our short-term plan is to hold services in the parking lot across the street,” Colon said.
Pray for a sunny day.
