After workers have cleared the hollowed-out structure and stabilized portions that survived the disaster, a new era will begin with a groundbreaking ceremony...
The church in downtown Dallas will soon begin construction on a new sanctuary to stand where the historic one was destroyed in a fire in 2024.First Baptist Dallas worshipers pass by a large artist rendering of the new historic sanctuary as they attend Sunday service, March 29, 2026.
The church announced to its congregation on Palm Sunday that in June they will break ground on new construction of the sanctuary which was destroyed in a fire two years ago in downtown Dallas.The church in the heart of downtown Dallas announced on Sunday – Palm Sunday – that construction will soon begin to rebuild the church’s 134-year-old historic sanctuary that wasFirst Baptist Dallas worshipers pass by a large artist rendering of the new historic sanctuary as they attend Sunday service, March 29, 2026. The church announced to its congregation on Palm Sunday that in June they will break ground on new construction of the sanctuary which was destroyed in a fire two years ago in downtown Dallas.On Palm Sunday, congregants and Christians around the world remember the story of Jesus Christ’s entry to the city of Jerusalem, where he was greeted by people waving palm branches.In an interview ahead of Palm Sunday, senior pastor Robert Jeffress reflected on specific scripture that says the whole world will burn someday, but there will be a new heaven and a new earth with Christ. “We’re rebuilding a historic sanctuary,” he said. “And as wonderful as that is, it’s going to be destroyed one day. It’s not going to last forever. But the people who worship in it will last forever.”First Baptist Dallas announced to its congregation on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, that in June they will will break ground on new construction of its historic sanctuary which was destroyed in a fire two years ago in downtown Dallas.John Paul DeFrank, the managing principal at Beck Architecture and the lead of the First Baptist project, said the goal of the new chapel is to create a space that honors the past with an eye to the future.Exposed wooden trusses will emulate those that were featured in the 1908 version of the church, a feature DeFrank said he found while looking through a book documenting the church’s history with pictures.New stained glass windows will convey Bible stories, while others will be made to match the ones lost in the fire. In the 1950s, the church’s aging steeple was replaced with one that “never really resonated with anyone,” DeFrank said. He now sees the rebuild as a chance to restore the steeple to its former glory.The sanctuary’s southern and western walls were saved from the fire and have been stabilized. Members and passersby on the street can see them standing now, surrounded by scaffolding. The two walls will become the exterior walls of the new structure. Workers salvaged other elements such as bricks from the walls that were dismantled and a large stone featuring the carved image of a Bible.With an eye to the future and the needs of the church now, a new lobby space will be larger than before, with more room for congregation before and after services. A large stained glass window facing the south will bathe the space with light, DeFrank said.The basement will get an upgrade as well. DeFrank said the plan is to expand the level to include event space for programming such as Bible studies.An artist rendering of the stained glass tower off of the new lobby area on the south side of the reconstructed, historic First Baptist Dallas sanctuary.The cause of the fire remains unknown. Photos of the site showed charred timbers, blackened brick walls, and windows devoid of the stained glass that used to fill them.Jim Haines, who ministers to senior adults at First Baptist, said many were married in the sanctuary. Every five years or so, the church would celebrate couples’ 50th wedding anniversaries in the historic chapel, he said. “So by the time this is finished, we will probably have one in the building,” he said Sunday before service., boosted the church’s fundraising efforts by $14 million. Jeffress said last year the estimated cost of rebuilding as of December was $127 million, with about $100 million from insurance.Jeffress said with the donations at the end of last year, “we have pretty much everything we need.” Church leadership still plans to have the new sanctuary built by Easter 2028. In the meantime, members can view large floor-to-ceiling renderings of the new chapel on a large wall within the worship center and view construction progress out its windows. The historic First Baptist Dallas sanctuary under reconstruction in downtown Dallas is reflected in the windows of the Worship Center, Sunday, March 29, 2026. First Baptist Dallas announced to its congregation on Palm Sunday that in June they will will break ground on new construction of its historic sanctuary which was destroyed in a fire two years ago.“It serves as a reminder that the church, ultimately, isn’t about brick and mortar,” he said. “It’s about people.”Isabella Volmert reports on faith for The Dallas Morning News. Previously, she covered state government and politics for the Associated Press in Indianapolis and Lansing, Mich. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.Pope Leo XIV rejects claims that God justifies war during Palm Sunday Mass message
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