This Sunday, April 15, 16 months after an early morning fire leveled First Baptist Church of McCullough, the church’s congregation will celebrate the dedication of its “new” house of worship.
The Rev. Alfonzia Williams Sr., pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, will deliver the message for the dedication ceremony, which is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. at the 611 Center Street church.
The congregation of “about 50” met for several months in the Freemanville Head Start building while construction of the new sanctuary, Sunday School rooms and other areas was ongoing.
Firefighters from McCullough Volunteer Fire Department, Huxford Volunteer Fire Department and Poarch Fire Department fought the December 16, 2016 blaze for five hours before bringing it under control. The fire, which began in the church attic, was enhanced by stiff winds and a recently installed tin roof that held the heat in and made it more intense.
Firefighters, along with investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the church’s insurance carrier, agreed that the destructive inferno was caused by an electrical malfunction.
A spokesperson for First Baptist Church of McCullough, the community’s oldest house of worship, said the public is “cordially invited” to attend the dedication ceremony.