Members of a church congregation in suburban Maywood are reeling after a massive fire gutted their place of worship on Monday afternoon.
All that remains of the New Life in Christ Bible Church are the four walls of the building after the blaze, which broke out Monday afternoon at approximately 3 p.m.
“I was here yesterday and there was fire coming from every window, the roof missing,” said Senior Pastor Ronald Beamon. “It was really an emotional time.”
Beamon told NBC 5 he’s heartbroken after seeing his church go up in flames near 15th Avenue and Harrison Street. He’s been the senior pastor of New Life in Christ Bible Church for more than 25 years.
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“We were just celebrating Christmas a Sunday ago and everything was intact everything was beautiful,” he said. “It’s just hard to believe that it’s gone like so fast.”
Beamon said he spent everyday for the past two weeks at the church, preparing for Christmas and the New Year, but the fire has left an entire community devastated.
“I know there’s a reason why (God) had me to come here every single day just to be with Him, and I’m so grateful for that,” he said, fighting back tears.
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The heavy smoke and flames could be seen for miles along the Eisenhower Expressway. No one was inside when the fire broke out and no one was hurt, according to authorities.
The church, built in 1942, has now been deemed a total loss.
“Many people were married in this church, they were buried from this church, funeralized here,” said Rock of Ages Baptist Church Pastor Marvin Wiley. “Babies christened here, dedicated here, family joined with other families here—it just means so much, it just means so much to have a place where you can gather.”
Wiley served as the pastor at the church decades ago.
“This building was probably the best time of ministry for us,” he said. “We were growing, people were coming, just changing an atmosphere of the place. People were parked along the expressway.”
The sanctuary is filled with so many memories and history over the years, but members of the congregation are now relying on their faith to get through these tough times.
The current pastor vows to rebuild but knows they will need a lot of help along the way.
“People have been kind in offering their support,” said Pastor Beamon. “We just know we’re gonna be alright, we know God is in control.”
Beamon said they’re in the process of starting a GoFundMe page to raise money to help rebuild the church. Members of the congregation will join in on a prayer line scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. to discuss the future of the church.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation
