First Baptist Church has been a landmark in downtown Dallas, covering six blocks of the city, since its founding in 1868. Following weekly worship services August 11th, all 3,000 congregants in attendance for the 11 a.m. service gathered to pose for a photo outside the remains of First Baptist Dallas’ Historic Sanctuary, where construction work on rebuilding efforts has already begun.
While the loss of the Historic Sanctuary was devastating to church members, they want to convey that the work of the church never stopped. Regular weekly worship services, ministry programming for the community and the preaching of the Gospel continue unabated.
“We are First Baptist Dallas!” exclaims Dr. Robert Jeffress, Senior Pastor, alongside congregants as they took the photo on Sunday, captured on video here. “We are here, we are standing strong, and we are open to serve this community.”
Reconstruction plans were announced shortly after the fire, which occurred Friday, July 19. A selective demolition process was begun to preserve as much of the 134-year-old sanctuary’s structure as possible. This included strategically dismantling some sections of the walls that were in danger of collapse, enabling crews to preserve other parts around which the rebuilding process has already begun, with new beams and scaffolding erected to secure what remains.
“We may have lost part of our physical history, but we have a far more important spiritual heritage in this city and this nation, and we are committed to living up to that historic legacy as we look to an even brighter future,” Dr. Jeffress says. “We know God has great plans in store for us and we look forward to seeing how this tragedy is going to be redeemed for the sake of the Gospel.”
As of Aug. 18, all regular weekly services and full Sunday School programming for all ages resumed in the Horner Family Center, adjacent to the church’s current Worship Center. The building has been completely cleaned and sanitized from any smoke damage, is being refurnished, as needed, and will be ready for use this weekend. New service times are 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with Sunday School classes starting at 8 a.m. 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.
For further details, visit www.firstdallas.org/sanctuaryupdates.
