Pleasant Sabine Baptist, one of three Bibb County churches burned to the ground, was the first to begin construction on its new building. The sanctuary is about halfway done and could be completed by mid-September, said the Rev. Robert E. Murphy Sr., the church's pastor.
"We're doing our plumbing and electrical work," he said. "We've ordered our pews."
The church received $53,000 earlier this month from a fund administered by Birmingham-Southern College, where the three accused arsonists met as students.
Murphy said his church's insurance did not cover the expected costs of rebuilding. The church had $100,000 worth of insurance and the cost to rebuild will be about $375,000. But donations have come from throughout the country.
The Southern Baptist-affiliated Alabama Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist churches have contributed more than $20,000 since the fire, Murphy said. "They've been very generous," said Terry Bell, chairman of construction for the church.
Carol Williams, outreach assistant at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, said her church collected $24,819 in donations, including money from other Episcopal churches around Alabama. "We have partnered with them to get as many materials donated as possible," she said.
Pleasant Sabine received very few donations directly, Murphy said. "We haven't collected that much," he said. The church hopes to fund its building project without borrowing.
"We don't know whether it will be enough or not," Murphy said. "We hope it will."
Ben Moseley, Russell DeBusk and Matthew Cloyd, arrested March 8, are still being held on charges related to the burning of nine churches. Their attorneys have been working with prosecutors on a possible plea agreement.
