Members of Fort Graham Baptist Church marked Easter in a way they never expected, gathering in faith just days after a catastrophic fire destroyed their sanctuary earlier in the week.
The congregation held Easter services in the fellowship hall, which was left standing, after volunteers spent the week clearing debris, bringing in equipment and manpower to help the church begin to recover.
Local fire departments were dispatched to the church on Farm Road 2604 at 5:43 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 after an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) parked next to the building caught fire.
Church members and Pastor Bryan Hill, who were on site for a dinner, attempted to extinguish the flames as they spread to the building, but the sanctuary was on fire by the time Cedar Creek Volunteer Fire Department firefighters arrived at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Additional units and resources were requested and assisted in fighting the fire, which quickly consumed the sanctuary and spread to the thrift store.
The Hill County Sheriff’s Office reported that firefighters were only able to attack the fire from the outside due to the imminent collapse of the building.
Three firefighters suffered heat-related injuries, with two treated on scene and one transported to a hospital for treatment. No other injuries were reported.
On a GoFundMe page started shortly after the fire, organizers said that the church recently lost its insurance coverage. Donations are being accepted at Peoples Bank in Whitney or via the GoFundMe page online.
In a social media post, the church announced that the only official GoFundMe page benefiting the rebuilding effort is the link shared on its Facebook page organized by Brooke Scarborough.
Church leadership cautioned that other links are either fraudulent or the organizers have not communicated with the church.
Donations can be made through the GoFundMe link or in person at Peoples Bank.
Those responding to the scene included Cedar Creek, White Bluff, Lakeview, Whitney, Woodbury, Covington, Peoria and Steele Creek volunteer fire departments, along with Hill County Emergency Management, Hill County Emergency Services District (ESD) 1, CareFlite EMS, Hill County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Transportation.
No foul play is suspected, but the Hill County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office with the investigation.
The building holds decades of history for the congregation.
The church gathered September 6, 1992 to dedicate the new sanctuary after a fundraising campaign that included community dinners and other events.
Fort Graham was joined by singers from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Prairie Valley Baptist Church, the Master’s Vessels Gospel Quartet of League City and the Ramsey Family gospel group as they celebrated the new sanctuary.
Ahead of that 1992 dedication, former longtime pastor Dr. Allan Lane invited the community to join the congregation in giving thanks for the new sanctuary and dedicating it to God.
As crews cleared the rubble last week, Pastor Hill recovered the cross from the front of the church, and the remaining walls were brought down as the cleanup process began.
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