DALLAS — First Baptist Dallas is working to resume activities in the Horner Family Center and has begun taking down parts of its historic sanctuary's walls three weeks after it was decimated in a fire.
First Baptist Dallas Executive Pastor Dr. Ben Lovvorn said Friday that the Horner Family Center was cleaned and cleared for the church to begin preparing it to resume activities on Sunday, Aug. 18.
“That building now has been completely sanitized," Lovvorn said. "It’s been cleared and it’s been turned back over to us so we can begin moving all of the contents into that building and preparing it for use by all of our ministries, including our children’s ministry, our student ministry, and our adult Sunday schools. So, we’re very excited to be able to use that building next Sunday, Aug. 18,” Lovvorn said.
He said the church is also working on the walls of the church’s 133-year-old sanctuary, which was destroyed in the July 19 fire.
“We started the selective demolition process on the walls of the historic sanctuary. What that means is we’re very intentionally, carefully, strategically picking apart some parts of the walls that were in danger of collapse, but that work was accomplished very successfully, and it has enabled us to actually preserve other parts of the walls that were in a fairly precarious condition” Lovvorn said in a video posted to Facebook. “We have begun erecting new beams and scaffolding even now to better secure those parts of the walls.”
First Baptist Dallas resumed services in their Worship Center last week after holding services at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center the two previous Sundays.
“We are here, we are standing strong, and we are open to serve this community," said Dr. Robert Jeffress, Senior Pastor.
The new service times will be 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with Sunday School classes starting at 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.
“We may have lost part of our physical history, but we have a far more important spiritual heritage in this city and this nation, and we are committed to living up to that historic legacy as we look to an even brighter future,” Dr. Jeffress said.
