Center Point Church in Tallahassee has Sunday service as they move into the unknown

Yahoo

20-01-2025

Amid dropping temperatures, members of Tallahassee's Center Point Church gathered in their parking lot for an unconventional Sunday service.
An early Friday morning fire left the members of the church, located on South Monroe Street near the Cascades Trail pedestrian bridge, displaced as they determine the next steps to get back into their spiritual home.
Senior Pastor Brian Douglas said his church, a member of the Presbyterian Church in America, is an adaptable one: "When something like this happens ... everybody's on board for whatever needs to happen."
Congregation members were bundled up Sunday, some wearing coats and others wrapped in blankets as they sat in their own lawn chairs and treated themselves to donuts, coffee and hot chocolate, which the kids took full advantage of.
Beside them stood the damaged sanctuary, where the fire took place. The entrance was boarded up and covered in caution tape; most of the damage had been covered by plywood and tarps. Beneath that were the scorched support beams.
Standing outside, smoke damage gave off a strong scent and only got worse inside. Fans were scattered about inside to blow away the odor.
During service, one man prayed for the warmth of the person who caused the fire, a woman prayed for those affected by the California fires. Douglas says the church is no stranger to outdoor service, having done so for Easters and Christmases but this one did not carry the same joy as the others.
While the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's office, church leadership is well aware of the culprit.
Based off security camera footage, they say an unhoused person used one of their potted plants to start a fire to stay warm, but did not put it out when leaving.
The church has no intention of pressing charges. "If I was outside on a cold night like that, I would really want to be warm," Douglas said.
Douglas says that the community response has been overwhelming, telling his congregation that several churches around the city were praying for them, saying he got a call from the Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., the pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
Douglas says dozens of those same churches, and even local businesses, have offered space to the church for their services as they rebuild. Chruch leadership has yet to make a choice.
"We have enough money. We got a mitigation company to come out and do some very basic early stuff," Douglas said. "The next step is really to wait for the adjuster. We do have insurance and we want to see what they're going to cover ... and that will happen Tuesday."
That's when a potential winter storm is likely to hit. Asked if insurance representatives would come in person, Douglas said Tuesday was the next business day after Friday so he expects their appearance.
Following the damage appraisal, church leadership says it will sort out the possibilities of extra funding and come to their decision for their temporary service space. All information will be posted to their website and Facebook page.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at [e-mail] and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Center Point Church in Tallahassee has Sunday service after fire