After devastating fire, St. Louis church refuses to lose hope

Missouri congregation that ‘lost everything’ keeps letting its light shine as it seeks God’s guidance — and funding.

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle

ST. LOUIS — A fire destroyed the leased storefront facility where the St. Louis Metropolitan Church of Christ met for more than a decade.

But amid the charred debris, an imprint of a cross remained on a wall — a symbol of hope.

“God let us know he’s still in control,” member Tywana Thomas said.

The church — which has 23 people on its roll — has clung to that assurance since the Jan. 27 fire. The blaze ignited when the building’s owner fell asleep while cooking.

Total losses — all uninsured — totaled $30,000 for a congregation already struggling financially, minister Christopher Mitchell said.

“I’m still grieving,” member Angelina Petty said. “We lost everything. We didn’t lose our faith, but we lost every physical thing.”