TEMPLE, Texas (ABP) — The 70-year-old sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Temple appears to be a total loss after a fire consumed it in the early-morning hours of Jan. 19.
Reports on the church’s website and in several local news outlets said the fire began around 5 a.m. local time in the sanctuary building. The building’s roof collapsed. It was unclear, as of mid-morning, whether other buildings on the church’s campus had also been destroyed.
According to the history section of the church’s website, the sanctuary that burned Jan. 19 was itself the result of a fire. Completed in 1939, it replaced an 1895 building that burned in 1938.
The church’s day-care center was closed Jan. 19 as firefighters continued attempts to put out remaining hot spots and assess the causes of the blaze. The church has scheduled a special prayer meeting in the congregation’s youth center for 7 p.m. on Jan. 19.
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