The blaze began just after 6 p.m. in First Baptist Dallas’ secondary chapel known as the Historic Sanctuary, which is tucked between the church’s larger worship centers.
The structure partially collapsed just after 7:30 p.m., Dallas-Fire Rescue said, according to local reports.
It took 60 units until 9:30 p.m. to contain the 4-alarm fire, but by then the chapel had “largely collapsed.”
Jeffress left the church shortly before they got word of the blaze, he told Fox 4 news.
A week of vacation bible school for 2,000 kids ages 3 to 12 had just concluded earlier in the day. “They were all gone,” the pastor said, adding, “I’m grateful that the church is not bricks or mortar or wood — it’s people.”
The sanctuary was the main place of worship for the congregation until 12 years ago when it moved to one of the larger centers in its complex.
“It holds a lot of memories,” Jeffress said, including his own baptism there at 6 years old. He has led the church since 2007.
No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.
