{"id":11980,"date":"2024-11-05T11:18:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=11980"},"modified":"2024-11-05T11:18:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:18:04","slug":"after-being-destroyed-by-fire-first-baptist-dallas-unveils-its-plans-to-rebuild-historic-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/11\/after-being-destroyed-by-fire-first-baptist-dallas-unveils-its-plans-to-rebuild-historic-sanctuary.html","title":{"rendered":"After Being Destroyed by Fire, First Baptist Dallas Unveils its Plans to Rebuild Historic Sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@dennyburke \/ X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Months after its sanctuary was destroyed in a fire, First Baptist Dallas has announced<\/a> its plan rebuild. \u201cOur goal is to honor the past while looking forward to what God will do here. We are committed to preserving the historic exterior walls of the sanctuary, and we’ve been working diligently to shore them up during this challenging time,\u201d the church\u2019s Executive Pastor Jeff Lovvorn announced from the pulpit. The new plan will include a larger steeple that will be more like the church\u2019s original design from 1908, as well as reinstating stained glass. \u201cThe steeple has been a symbolic cornerstone for our church, reminding us that Jesus Christ is our true cornerstone,\u201d said Lovvorn. Senior pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress also praised the new steeple design. \u201cWe’re going to have it beautifully illuminated at night, and I think it will be an iconic space for downtown Dallas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lovvorn laid out an ambitious plan with a redesigned pulpit, an expanded space for fellowship, a grand staircase, and other amenities. The church has started Mission 18, a fundraising effort with a goal to raise $95 million. Lovvorn called it<\/a> \u201cthe largest mission on a campaign that we have ever undertaken as a church.\u201d He believes, however, the new design is \u201cGod\u2019s calling.\u201d \u201cGod brings beauty from ashes,\u201d he stated, recalling the heart ache of the previous fire.<\/p>\n

Church members have stated their support for the project. \u201cTo see the sanctuary rebuilt has meant a lot to me because it always symbolized the church to me and had always been a symbol of what First Baptist Dallas had been throughout the past over 150 years,” said church member Daniel Ameri. The church\u2019s iconic fountain has already been repaired. The church suffered from fire damage<\/a> on July 19, with the cause of the fire still currently unknown. Investigators have ruled out arson. Services were able to resume in August, nearly month after the fire. “It feels like being home again,\u201d said Jeffress at the time<\/a>. \u201cThe church is not brick and mortar. It’s people. Our church has never lost its spirit. We believe God causes all things to work together for those who love him.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Months after its sanctuary was destroyed in a fire, First Baptist Dallas has announced its plan rebuild. \u201cOur goal is to honor the past while looking forward to what God will do here. We are committed to preserving the historic exterior walls of the sanctuary, and we’ve been working diligently to shore them up during…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":11977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church"],"yoast_head":"\nAfter Being Destroyed by Fire, First Baptist Dallas Unveils its Plans to Rebuild Historic Sanctuary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/11\/after-being-destroyed-by-fire-first-baptist-dallas-unveils-its-plans-to-rebuild-historic-sanctuary.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After Being Destroyed by Fire, First Baptist Dallas Unveils its Plans to Rebuild Historic Sanctuary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Months after its sanctuary was destroyed in a fire, First Baptist Dallas has announced its plan rebuild. \u201cOur goal is to honor the past while looking forward to what God will do here. 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