Fire Destroys Local Church, Members Keeping Their Faith Intact

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- A fire rages through one of the longest standing churches in Lowndes County.

Just before 11 o’clock Wednesday night, fire crews got to the Prairie Hill Missionary Baptist Church and found flames erupting from the house of worship.

“It was blazing when I got here,” said Samson Edmond, a life-long member at the church. “I called my mom and said mom, it’s gone.”

Not much is left of the church building.

The blaze turned what was once a sanctuary into a pile of debris, destroyed the roof, and burst out all of the church’s windows.

Edmond was one of the first church members on scene and watched as his church went up in flames.

“To see this here, this is devastating,” said Edmond. “I couldn’t hold the tears back. I started crying, and I’m trying to hold them back now because it means so much to me.”

Prairie Hill M.B. Church holds a special place in Edmond’s heart.

It’s the church he grew up in, and the church where he accepted Christ into his life.

“It’s tremendous,” Edmond expressed. “It means so much to the families, to the community. I know this is a building, and I know church is within our hearts, but it just got so much sentimental stuff to it, it’s just unreal.”

Lowndes County Fire Coordinator Neal Austin said a passerby called in the fire.

They believe the flames started in the back of the church.

No one was inside when the blaze broke out, and the church hadn’t been used since Sunday.

Austin said they’re still working to determine the exact cause of the fire, but he does not suspect arson.

“It was heavy fire showing throughout the complete sanctuary and the backside of the church all the way to the front,” said Austin. “It was a total fire consumption.”

Though the building is destroyed, church members are continuing to press on.

“By the grace of God we are going to rebuild,” said Edmond.

As yellow tape wavers in the wind, the one thing that’s not wavering is the congregation’s faith and trust in the Lord to get them through

“We are going to keep praying to God,” said Edmond. “That’s where we get our strength from so I’m not giving up. This will make you stronger. We know that whenever you need him you can just call and and he’s right there, so we’re calling on him.”

The church was scheduled to celebrate it’s pastor’s anniversary this Sunday.

Despite the destroyed building, Edmond said this Sunday, he a few other members will gather in the church’s parking lot for praise and worship.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has now been brought in to investigate the cause of the blaze.

No injuries were reported in the fire.