Our Fire

As you have probably heard or seen by now, First Church experienced a devastating fire in the early morning hours of October 10. The purpose of this webpage will be to inform our members and the public about the progress of our restoration.

We begin by saying that we have much to be thankful for. While the damage is substantial, those who understand fires suggest that the building was so hot that if firefighters did not put out the fire as quickly as they did, our entire nave could have been lost. We are thankful that a neighbor called 911 on our behalf. We are thankful for our insurer who has helped us immensely through this process. We are thankful for the skills and talents of our cleaning company who know how to clean smoke damage.

Here is what we know:

• The fire was electrical in nature, starting near the sacristy.
• We are still assessing the damage to our organ, but we expect the damage is substantial. 
• The stained glass behind the altar is damaged and probably will have to be replaced.
• The entire building will have to be professionally cleaned, sealed and painted.
• We will likely be out of the nave for at least sjx months and possibly well beyond a year.

Here is a synopsis of what we have to look forward to.

1. We are very fortunate to have adequate space to move into and retain the feel of worship we are accustomed to. We included a picture of our temporary worship space in the gallery below.
2. We will get our small organ back in a few weeks in order to have the services of a pipe organ again.
3. Our Jesus 101 class will continue. Pastor McClanahan and others continue to pass out flyers both for the noon lunch class and the evening dinner class. Please pray that the hearts of all who received flyers who do not know the story and mercy of Jesus Christ might be open to attending.

We have much work and many decisions ahead of us. However, we have an opportunity to grow as a congregation, to get to know one another, to band together towards a common goal, and to be reminded that Christian community is rooted in something much deeper than even the most beautiful of buildings. We will keep you posted on our progress.

More information about the fire click here.