A church in Silver Spring, Maryland, was badly damaged when an apparent electrical problem sparked a fire overnight. Services will be held at an alternate location this weekend.
Dozens of firefighters responded to the Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church on New Hampshire Avenue around 1:45 a.m. to extinguish the fire. Photos showed flames blazing through the church’s roof.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but it appears to be an electrical problem that sparked a fire in the audiovisual control booth at the rear of the sanctuary, the church said on its Facebook page.
The damage to the nave was extensive. Photos from the interior show charred pews and singed hymn books. The organ, piano, roof and ceiling boards of the church were also damaged.
Nobody was injured in the fire.
“We mourn the loss of the home where the Spencerville family worshipped our Savior Jesus Christ for nearly 45 years,” Pastor Chad Stuart said in a statement. “But we do not mourn without hope, for we know that the worship of Jesus is not confined to a building and that the church is not a place, but the collective people of God coming together in faith that Jesus from the ashes brings life and revival.”
The church will hold a Sabbath service at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference at 12501 Old Columbia Pike in Silver Spring.
