First Baptist Dallas gets approval to try to save exterior of historic church after fire
Amid concerns regarding the fate of the historic 133-year-old First Baptist Dallas, which suffered a fire two Fridays ago, church leadership has received city approval to commence preservation efforts for the structure’s remaining exterior walls.
In a video update on the church’s Facebook page, Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn expressed cautious optimism about the preservation efforts.
“Now, I can make no guarantees about how that work will go or even if it will be successful — but we do have approval to try,” Lovvorn said in the video, also mentioning the personal significance of the building where he both met and married his wife.
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“We have made significant progress today in stabilizing and supporting the outer walls of the Historic Sanctuary,” the church said in an update Thursday. “Crews are working 24 hours a day to continue restoring our campus back to normal operations, focusing primarily on the Worship Center and the Horner Family Center.”
Lovvorn described the upcoming changes to the church campus, which will include demolishing and cleaning the site, as crucial for facilitating future Gospel work at First Baptist Dallas.
The pastor said in updates shared on social media that the church would again hold one Sunday worship service at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center today before returning to the church next Sunday for all future services.
Lovvorn appealed to the congregation for continued prayers for the success of the restoration efforts and the safety of the construction crews. He concluded with gratitude for the congregation’s support.
The historic red brick sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas, a vital part of the downtown Dallas community since 1890, faced a significant threat after a four-alarm fire caused partial collapse last Friday, The Dallas Morning News noted.
The fire, which originated in the basement, caused extensive damage, prompting urgent preservation efforts. However, the pulpit survived the fire. Fire investigators have not determined or disclosed the cause of the fire.
The church has been a cornerstone in the Southern Baptist Convention, often described as the “Notre Dame” of the denomination. Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, leads the congregation of about 16,000 members.
Reflecting on the fire, Dr. Richard D. Land, a former associate pastor and professor at First Baptist Dallas, shared his personal connection to the church in his weekly column for The Christian Post. Land recounted his years of service and the deep community ties within the church, which have seen generations of families worship and grow in their faith together.
Land said while the church's physical structure has suffered, its congregation's spirit remains unbroken. He told readers that the spiritual essence of the church is not confined to its buildings but embodied by its people and their faith.
