'A true miracle': Flames torch historic Baptist church sanctuary — but the fire fails to destroy famed pulpit



A massive, four-alarm fire ripped through the structure of the historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church Dallas last Friday.

But those flames failed to destroy the sanctuary's historic pulpit.

'A true miracle — especially if you saw the flames engulfing the place this pulpit was displayed.'

As the church began to sift through the damage this week, it was discovered that the sanctuary's pulpit — which had been used by Baptist preachers including George Truett and W.A. Criswell — survived the fire.

"So indescribably grateful for this miracle," said O.S. Hawkins, the former senior pastor at FBC Dallas.

"In the midst of the total destruction of the church in the fire this 130 year old pulpit of Truett and Criswell and the others of us somehow someway miraculously survived. Thank you Lord," he praised.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, the current senior pastor of the church, described the pulpit's survival as a "true miracle."

"A true miracle — especially if you saw the flames engulfing the place this pulpit was displayed," he said.

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Not only was the pulpit discovered relatively unharmed, but church leaders received more good news this week.

Initially, they thought the fire damage was so extensive that the structural integrity of the historic building, which has been in use since the 1890s, was compromised. If that were the case, the entire building would have been demolished.

But executive pastor Ben Lovvorn said the church has received approval from the city to try to salvage the building.

"We received approval from the city to begin the work of preserving these historic walls," Lovvorn said. "I can make no guarantees about how that work will go or even if it'll be successful, but we do have approval to try. We're gonna do everything that we can to save these exterior walls of our historic sanctuary."

"Church, that's an answer to prayer," Lovvorn added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Pastor Jeffress, meanwhile, revealed that former President Donald Trump reached out to him after the fire to offer support.

"I don't believe my support for President Trump has anything to do with this fire," Jeffress told KTVT-TV. "I did receive a nice note from the president, who has spoken here before at our church. He offered his help to do anything he could."

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Pastor reveals what Trump did after massive fire torches historic church sanctuary at First Baptist Church in Dallas



Pastor Robert Jeffress, leader of the historic First Baptist Church in Dallas, said former President Donald Trump reached out after the church's historic sanctuary burned down.

On Friday shortly after 6 p.m., Dallas Fire and Rescue received a call about a fire at the church's historic sanctuary, which had been in use since the 1890s. The fire eventually grew to a four-alarm blaze that took more than three hours to extinguish. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the fire.

'If the SBC had a Notre Dame it would be FBC Dallas. This is heartbreaking.'

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the investigation into the cause — which includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — is ongoing.

But Pastor Jeffress, who is an ardent Trump supporter, told local media that he doesn't believe his support for the former president is behind the fire.

More importantly, he said Trump is offering his support in the wake of the devastating fire.

"I don't believe my support for President Trump has anything to do with this fire," Jeffress told KTVT-TV. "I did receive a nice note from the president, who has spoken here before at our church. He offered his help to do anything he could."

First Baptist Church Dallas was founded in 1868. Billy Graham was once a member, and the historic sanctuary has received visits from multiple presidents, including Woodrow Wilson, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush. Today, about 16,000 Christians are members at FBC Dallas.

The significance of the fire for Baptists cannot be overstated. Clint Pressley, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, remarked that the church's historic sanctuary is the SBC's equivalent of Notre Dame.

"If the SBC had a Notre Dame it would be FBC Dallas. This is heartbreaking. Praying the Lord is merciful," Pressley said.

But unlike the Notre Dame cathedral after a fire torched that historic sanctuary five years ago, FBC Dallas' historic sanctuary may have to be torn down if engineers determine the fire compromised the structural integrity of the building.

Despite the bad news, Jeffress is maintaining a hopeful Christian attitude.

"As tragic as the loss of this old sanctuary is, we are grateful that the church is not bricks and wood but composed of over 16,000 people who are determined more than ever before to reach the world for the gospel of Christ," he said in a statement.

Plus, the pastor is thanking God because thousands of students had been in the historic sanctuary not long before the fire broke out.

"That's a miraculous protection by God to spare not only those children but any lost lives," he told WTVT.

First Baptist Dallas' historic sanctuary may need to be demolished, cause undetermined www.youtube.com

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Megachurch pastor, prominent Trump supporter Robert Jeffress says 'it appears' Biden won



One of President Donald Trump's most prominent evangelical Christian supporters acknowledged Wednesday that former Vice President Joe Biden appears to be the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, of the megachurch First Baptist Dallas, told The Dallas Morning News that Biden's victory seems to be "the most likely outcome," though he emphasized that he is not in any way calling the election over.

Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden, making allegations of voter fraud and challenging the results of several states in court. Jeffress did not echo Trump's complaints, insisting that if there is fraud it will come to light eventually.

"I don't pretend to be an election expert," he said. "I trust that if there is that kind of fraud that it would be uncovered."

Jeffress also penned a column for Fox News in which he wrote that Biden's election would be a "bitter pill to swallow" for conservative Trump supporters and that, while the results aren't official, "it appears that he won."

Jeffress' article is a pastoral exhortation for Christians to trust that God is sovereign no matter who is president and to remember to pray for earthly leaders, event those you disagree with.

"Human governments and rulers change at God's direction and design. Our faith and our salvation lie not in any human ruler, but in the ruler of rulers, the King of kings. We have to remember that even though the occupant of the White House is changing, the One who occupies the throne of Heaven hasn't changed," Jeffress wrote.

"The fact that God has established authorities means that by obeying the government, we obey God."

Quoting the Apostle Paul from 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Jeffress reminded Christians to pray "for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions."

Now, it's always easier to submit and to pray for someone when he was our preferred candidate. But the rubber really meets the road when the person who takes office is not the one we supported. Paul didn't give us any wiggle room — his command applies all the same, whether the emperor was the faith-friendly Constantine or the evil emperor Nero.

Here is our chance to show that Christians are not hypocrites. We serve a God who remains on His throne, sovereignly reigning over every square inch of this vast universe. We serve a God who loves us and will never leave or forsake us. And now we have the chance to show the consistency and constancy/ of our Christian witness to this world.

Jeffress is one of Trump's most vocal and visible Christian supporters, having traveled with the president on the campaign trail in 2016 and served on Trump's evangelical advisory board. While he supports Trump's right to challenge the results of the election, he acknowledges that it's unlikely the Trump campaign's lawsuits will uncover enough evidence of voter fraud to overturn the election.

"I understand – looking at it, it appears that [Biden] won," Jeffress told The Dallas Morning News, adding that "I've said publicly –I've said on Fox News – that I think the only way for us to have unity in our country is not only to respect the right of people to vote in an election, but the right to contest an election and President Trump has every right to contest this election."

"It's 'if he becomes president' and we won't know that till I suppose December 14 when the Electoral College meets," he said.

Jeffress did express disappointment with Biden's stated desire to undo Trump executive orders protecting the right to life and religious liberty.

"I think most people are well intentioned," Jeffress said. "They want the best for our country. And I think Christians want to hope for the best with the new president, but frankly I think Joe Biden is making the wrong moves up front, if he really does want to work with all Americans. I mean to immediately attack religious liberty issues and protection of the unborn. I just don't think that's the kind of thing you do if you truly are interested in working with groups who may not believe like you do."