April 9, 2008

Fire destroys Presbyterian church sanctuary
Parishioners of New Orleans area congregation vow to rebuild

by Evan Silverstein
Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — A fire that may have been sparked by lightning destroyed the interior of the sanctuary of 100-member Jefferson Presbyterian Church in suburban New Orleans on Saturday (April 5).

Fire over the weekend destroyed the inside of the sanctuary of Jefferson Presbyterian Church in suburban New Orleans, also claiming an organ, grand piano, the pews, and melting windows. Photo courtesy of Jefferson Presbyterian Church

It took 25 firefighters more than 30 minutes to bring the early morning, two-alarm blaze under control, according to leaders of the Louisiana congregation.

Along with the sanctuary’s interior, which church members are vowing to rebuild, the fire also destroyed the organ, grand piano and the pews, and melted windows. The church office and choir room, located elsewhere in the building, sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

No one was injured, said the pastor, the Rev. Garry Eldridge.

Two adjoining structures on the church campus — a fellowship hall and an education building — were not damaged, which has allowed worship services and ministries to continue without disruption at the church in Jefferson, LA, which is located about 12 miles west of New Orleans.

“We know the church is destroyed, but we know we’re going to rebuild it,” said elder Mike Giangrosso, who has worshiped at Jefferson Presbyterian for about 18 years. “We’re moving on. We’re not dwelling on it. Everybody’s going about their regular routine as much as we can.”

The day after the fire, about 90 members and visitors, including representatives of South Louisiana Presbytery, gathered in the fellowship hall for the church’s regular Sunday service.

Although the congregation is grieving the loss of its sanctuary, it’s also looking at the potential that could inadvertently come out of the tragedy, said Eldridge.

“As Christians we believe in a God of the resurrection and a God of new life,” Eldridge told the Presbyterian News Service on Tuesday (April 8). “That out of the darkest despair, the darkest destruction, new life is possible. Church members are already talking along those lines, talking of rebuilding right away.”

The congregation was in the process of working with a consulting company on church growth and revitalization prior to the fire.

“One of the things that we’ve been asking ourselves and saying to ourselves is that if we want to grow and change we can’t keep doing the same things we’ve always done, the same ways we’ve always done them,” Eldridge said.

Jefferson Presbyterian Church leaders hope to salvage the church sanctuary’s double-brick exterior after fire ravaged the building’s interior April 5. Photo courtesy of Jefferson Presbyterian Church

The pastor said the cause is still under investigation. Fire officials and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms suspect the blaze was caused by lightning from a line of thunderstorms that swept through the region early Saturday. However, the church is awaiting confirmation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Eldridge said firefighters were first called about Saturday’s blaze at 4:19 a.m. (CT). The first company, which arrived within four minutes, reported that the fire was already heavily involved and a second alarm was called.

As heavy smoke and fire poured out from the roof of the church, firefighters attempted to attack the blaze from the rooftops of other buildings, but were called down because of the intense lightning, Eldridge said.

The building that burned is thought to be the fourth sanctuary at Jefferson Presbyterian Church, a congregation that dates back to 1925. Though the roof is a total loss and the inside of the building will have to be gutted, Eldridge hopes that the double-brick shell can be saved.

Despite the damage, on a campus with three buildings close together, the situation could have been much worse, said members.

“We are blessed that no one was hurt, that we will still have a place to worship,” elder Nancy Pearson told the Presbyterian News Service. “All of our mission outreaches will continue. We’re going to continue to spread God’s word. This is a building and it can be rebuilt.”

She said an outpouring of concern and support has come in from Presbyterian churches and people of other faiths from all over.

 “The biggest message that we want to send out is our gratitude to everyone for being there, and we know they are,” Pearson said. “At this point the prayers lift us up.”

Eldridge said that had the fire destroyed the fellowship hall it would have been devastating because it’s where the church carries out most of its ministries — including a food bank, Sunday school for children and adults, and an afterschool tutoring program. It also provides space for productions of the Jefferson Community Players.

Ironically, Jefferson Presbyterian escaped the fury of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with minor damage. Since then the congregation has regularly housed short-term work crews from across the country assisting with the recovery effort. The tenth work group from Guinston Presbyterian Church in Airville, PA, arrived the day after the fire.