Parishioners of the Deliverance Tabernacle Church know that despite a fire tearing through their sacred space, greater things are still to come.
“We are devastated that our place of worship has been destroyed, but the cross still stands,” said Donniese Barrow, a church board member. “With all of this damage, the cross did not fall.”
A two-alarm blaze broke out Monday morning about 3 a.m. in the Jamaica church’s basement. Although a cause has yet to be determined, a church official and technician heard it was electrical.
It took the FDNY about an hour to put out the flames, and despite conflicting reports, firefighters had no problems with frozen fire hydrants.
“Reports said [there were problems] but we confirmed the hydrants [were functioning],” said an FDNY spokesperson.
Four firefighters sustained minor injuries and were taken to Jamaica Hospital.
The building was significantly damaged on the inside, but less than a day after the fire, neighboring churches had opened their doors to the 150-person congregation, Barrow said.
“Other churches have reached out to offer space and to try and accommodate us until we find something,” she said. “People have been really supportive.”
Barrow said officials plan to rebuild the space, and despite losing everything, their faith is still alive.
“We know something greater is coming from this,” she said. “It’s going to be a long process. But we are strong and our faith is stronger.”
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