PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Brewerytown community is mourning the loss of United Missionary Baptist Church, devastated by fire Monday night. One by one, neighbors stopped by on Wednesday to pay their respects, standing in what they described as shock, looking up at what is left of the 133-year-old church at 25th and Thompson streets.
The Rev. Chandra Williams says her heart is broken.
“It’s body shock. It truly hasn’t sunken in what has happened,” she said. “This represents my entire life here.”
Williams is pastor of the congregation. Her father was pastor for 54 years, she said, and her sister was pastor for 12 years.
“It’s mind blowing,” said James McCrae. “This church has blessed many people.”
McCrae says he and other neighbors never saw the fire coming.
“Everybody was waking me up, telling me the church was on fire. I was like: ‘We just left there,’” he said.
McCrae has been part of the United Missionary community for a long time—“50, almost 60 years”—and a close friend of Williams’ father.
“I met Rev. Williams when I was 10 years old,” McCrae said.
He says the church was special, with its century-old stained glass and its place in Black history.
“Rev. Williams used to walk around with MLK,” he said. “MLK even sat in that church.”
Peaches, another long-time congregant, says the church holds so many memories.
“I sang for my aunt’s funeral—and it was the last time I sang, right here in that church,” she said.
Williams, Peaches, McCrae and others watched as boards were nailed up where colorful stained glass used to be. Now encased in plywood and glazed in ice, the church faces an uncertain future.
“Right now, we’re just securing the facility and looking at paths of rebuilding,” Williams said.
Both Peaches and McCrae also remain faithful that the church and its community will be restored.
“God can do anything—can do anything but fail,” Peaches said. “Not on this community. Not on us.”
Sunday services will be held at a neighboring church. For more information go to the United Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page.