Members of the First Baptist Church will return to their main campus in downtown Dallas this Sunday. It will be the first time they have been able to have services there since a fire damaged the church's historic chapel on July 19.
"Barring any major surprises, we are going to be in our worship center on our campus for worship this Sunday morning," Pastor Ben Lovvorn said. There will be one service at 11 a.m.
Sunday services have been held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas for the past two weekends. Crews have been working to secure the foundation of the building. The church has already received approval to preserve three walls of the historic chapel that are still standing after the fire.
Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress said the fire has been difficult for the church, but predicted the congregation would grow stronger.
"I believe that in the decades to come, people will look back on this event...as a milestone event in the history of First Baptist Dallas," he said in a video message to church members.
"Decades from now, people will either say 'that fire was the beginning of the end of First Baptist Dallas,' or they will say 'that fire was the beginning of a new beginning, a new productivity, a new effectiveness for First Baptist Dallas'. I think it's going to be the latter," he said. "People will look at this as the beginning of a new beginning for our church because of your love, your faithfulness and your commitment."
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