A pastor from Ranger, Texas delivered a very moving message on Sunday with the intent of reviving the hope of his congregation after their century-old church was destroyed by fire.
Faithwire reported Second Baptist Church Pastor Wade Berry's compelling message encouraged his flock that their church isn't over. Berry pointed out they have much to be grateful for since they still have each other. Berry, who has been the church's pastor for only nine months, is said to be technically blind.
"This building is gone. That's something worth grieving. But it's also a day to celebrate," Berry said.
Wade gave the message on the empty lot in front of their burnt church-an impromptu service they called a "Lawn Chair Sunday." The pastor's message reiterated what was posted on the church's Facebook account on the day of the fire to announce their loss. The post included a photo of the church-a roofless red-bricked building charred by smoke after the fire was put out.
"Satan has hit us hard but we are still standing. I'm bring(ing) a lawn chair Sunday and going to serve GOD anyway. Who's with me? Remember the people are the church. And not the building," Second Baptist Church announced.
"Together we stand. All who want to stand with us, are invited to join us," the church encouraged in a succeeding post.
The historic building was built in 1919 by the T&P Oil Company but never used it. The property became the Hotel Theodor in 1920 and was occupied by the Central Baptist Church from 1925 to the early 1930s. The Calvary Baptist Church then settled in by 1938, before its name changed to Second Baptist Church.
As per Abilene Reporter News, two fire incidents happened in Ranger last March 17. One was a massive wildfire that hit the Eastland Complex--composed of tens of thousands of acres--that lasted until Friday.
The other took place at 400 South Marston Street that spread to four nearby structures including the Second Baptist Church due to dry windy conditions. The other structures were the old police station behind the church and a yard that separated the church from the station.
The Ranger Police originally suspected a barbecue or fire pit as the cause of the fire. But the police eventually identified a suspect, Robert James, for intentionally causing the fire. James was arrested and charged on March 19 for five counts of felony arson.
An analysis of the church's building showed the third floor has caved in. The building also suffered severe damage from smoke and water, making it a total loss. Photos of the actual fire were uploaded a day after. While an online video posted by Eastland County Today showed the church engulfed in flames. Firemen reportedly had to water the church up to noon on Friday to keep the fire from reigniting.
The church uploaded photos of the extent of the damage the building suffered on Saturday. The photo showed the sanctuary in a total mess as tiles and roofing fell on the floor where ash could be seen. The post also included instructions on where they will be holding their impromptu service.
Accordingly, the impromptu service was wittingly called a Lawn Chair Sunday by the church's Song Leader Wendy Rodgers, who pointed out in an interview with NBCDFW that the fire did not take away the people they love.
"You may have lost all of your things, but you haven't lost everything because you still got the people that love you," Rodgers said.
"We don't need a building. We're still at church. The church still stands. We're still here," she reinforced.
NBCDFW reported that more than 100 people gathered during the impromptu service, which was far greater than the average 12 congregants they have in attendance every week. Rodgers elaborated that the church was initially pushed to be shut down since the congregation has dwindled to five. However, it has grown in recent weeks to a range of 10 to 15. She said they continued with the service because they felt God wanted them to keep going. When they did, they saw indeed they were growing, even now after the fire.
"I think Satan wants to knock us down because we were starting to grow again. But I don't think God is done with us. He has a plan," Rodgers underscored.
