A Dallas church devastated by fire in July 2024 has moved from disaster recovery mode to reconstruction.
Dr. Ben Lovvorn of First Baptist Dallas announced in a video on Tuesday that crews are making great progress in carefully deconstructing the church's north wall.
"We're reaching a milestone in this project. We're nearing the end of the demolition process," said Dr. Lovvorn. "Our crews have been here around the clock. All week we've had a crew out here removing pieces of the stonework by hand and by crane. Up next, they will remove the stone Bible and anchor. This should all be completed by the first part of next week. Then we will really be able to stabilize our campus as we look forward to the future."
Days after the tragic fire on July 19, 2024, the church announced it would rebuild and plans for reconstruction began almost immediately.
“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 said. “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.”
Since the fire, church services and ministry programs have continued to run in the unscathed portion of the church campus, which spans six blocks of downtown Dallas.
"Thank you for your commitment to the lord," said Dr. Lovvorn. "Thank you for your commitment to his church and the great work that he is doing here. We are excited to kick off 2025 as we don't just survive through this, but we thrive as a testament to the glory of God and our salvation in Jesus Christ."
A new building is expected to be completed by 2028.
With 16,000 members, First Baptist Church of Dallas is one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention.