POLLOCK, Louisiana (CALF) – New Friendship Baptist Church in Pollock held a dedication ceremony for its new church building. This came after the church burned to the ground in February 2023.

Churchgoers still remember this day.

“There were a lot of tears shed that day. Several church members and many people from the community came by and stood in the street and watched the church burn,” said Wayne Baum, a church member. “There was no one who wasn’t sad. Everyone was upset. That church was a landmark.”

Pastor Lloyd Whitman said he was preaching at a funeral in Alexandria when he received news that his church was in flames. Whitman said when things wrapped up there, he rushed there and found that nothing was left of his church but rubble and ashes.

“I was devastated by what had happened,” Whitman said. “But I knew if my people came together, they would rebuild the building.”

Pastor Whitman said the fire was caused by an electrical fault and the church collapsed within 45 minutes.

The new church cost $1,300,000, one million of which was covered by insurance. The rest was paid by churches and private individuals, church officials said.

Pastor Whitman said he was tested during the rebuilding process, but his faith remained unbroken.

“Everything we do for God, the devil attacks us,” Whitman said. “So he attacked us, and the work went slowly sometimes. Slower than we wanted it to. We didn’t know if we were going to get the money, but money was coming in to build a building. But our people stuck together.”

The members not only held their services in a neighboring church, but also prayed outside under a tent, braving all weather conditions.

Cyndi Tarpley married her husband in the old church. Tarpley said the congregation’s desire to get through this difficult period remains undiminished.

“It got a little chilly at times, but we still had the heaters inside, windbreakers and everyone had blankets,” Tarpley said. “But we did what we had to do to keep worshiping.”

Tarpley hopes that the new church, which now stands in place of the old one, will bring new life to the church.

“Hopefully we’ll get some younger people soon because we’re getting older,” Tarpley said. “We’d like to turn it over to them so they can continue what we started here.”

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