First Sunday service since massive fire returns to First Baptist Dallas
DALLAS — Members of First Baptist Dallas are heading back to their downtown campus for Sunday service. The church will hold an 11 a.m. service at its 178,000-square-foot Worship Center.
"So we've been working feverishly during this time, 24 hours a day, trying to get ready," Dr. Ben Lovvorn said. "We are excited to welcome our church family back home."
Lovvorn, the church's executive pastor, has provided daily updates on the progress and long-term challenges at the downtown church. On Friday, he read Isaiah 43:19 from the Bible: "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?"
On Sundays, the church's Worship Center can accommodate around 3,000 people as they wait for "God's new thing."
A massive fire, which Dallas Fire & Rescue believes started in the basement of the church's historic building on July 19, forced the congregation and its guests away. Members had been in the building since 1891.
"We still use that every single Sunday morning for our contemporary band-led service, for weddings, funerals, and other special events," Lovvorn said.
Most of the facade is still in place. The pastor said whatever the church decides to do with the fire-ravaged building will honor their history, legacy, and spiritual heritage. He said the facility will also express excitement about the future and their continued ministry to God.
First, a round-the-clock effort to shore up the facade continues. Once it's secure, the church needs to hand the site back over to fire investigators. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
"There's still some selective demolition that we'll have to do to make sure that the site is safe," Lovvorn said.
Getting buildings like the Criswell Center and the Joan & Andy Horner Family Center back may take longer. However, Lovvorn insists the services provided in those buildings will return sooner rather than later.