PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A Port Arthur church was consumed by a fire early Thursday morning but the pastor says they hope to rebuild.
Firefighters from the Port Arthur Fire Department were battling the fire at the Endtime Deliverance Holiness Church on 19th St. at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.
Around 11 a.m. the flames reignited and had to be extinguished. Construction crews dug up the gas line afterwards, to make sure the fire does not rekindle.
Shift Battalion Chief of the Port Arthur Fire Department, Jay Fountain says that they had a lot of manpower and a lot of equipment on scene.
“We had six engines, the hazardous rescue truck and a battalion chief on scene,” said Fountain.
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For the last two decades, Pastor Richard Sweet and First Lady Pastor Lisa Sweet have been renting the church.
Lisa Sweet had big plans for church's future, including building a food pantry to help those in need.
While the church's future is now uncertain, her faith has never altered.
"We haven't wavered from the vision and the dream that God has planned for us in our heart to do. Our plan is to continue to have service wherever it may be for right now," she said.
Paul Jackson heard about the fire from his pastor and was sent by First Baptist Church of Port Arthur to let the Sweets know they could hold worship at his church.
"So, that's why we are here today to express the fact that we love these people even though we have never seen them. We know that we're together in this oneness in Christ and so we extended to this church an opportunity to have a place to worship," Jackson said.
Pastor Richard Sweet is grateful for the opportunity to continue his worship at another church in the meantime.
"And I thank God for the pastor, for the congregation, thank him for everything," he said.
The congregation hopes to rebuild the church, which is an older building.
Currently it is unclear what may have caused the fire.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
