WAYCROSS, Ga. – A lightning strike sparked a fire at Deenwood Baptist Church in Waycross, Georgia, leaving a hole in the roof and members of the congregation vowing to rebuild.
A Ware County fire official and church members who watched the flames spread confirmed that the fire was likely the result of a lightning strike, though the cause remains under investigation.
“It was awful, and it was a very loud bang,” Cathy Johns said. “I looked up there and saw the very corner of the roof flames coming out, the very quarter and I said lightning has hit the church and that’s when I called 911.”
Neighbors watched the fire intensify as first responders worked relentlessly for hours to put it out.
“They fought it so hard, they drilled holes in the top and sprayed water and it was just like it would not go out,” Johns said.
She said her mother and grandmother were baptized at the church.
“We’ve sat on porches many times and looked at that steeple. And it’s just, it’s been a part of this community for so long,” Johns said. “It was a beautiful church and it’s heartbreaking to see.”
Jarrod Everson, the lead pastor, was actually inside the building when the lightning struck, but he didn’t know what it was.
“It wasn’t until the fire departments actually arrived and knocked on the door and said the building was on fire,” Everson said.
Dee Meadows, in a Facebook post, thanked the City of Waycross firefighters, Ware County Fire Rescue and Pierce County Fire Department for assisting at the scene.
Meadows, who said he was raised in the church, emphasized that the congregation remained intact even as the building burned.
“The building may be damaged,” he wrote, “but the Church is not a building. The Church is the people.”
Another church member also posted online asking for prayers for the “Deenwood church family,” adding, “What the enemy meant to tear down, God will use to build up. The church will come through this stronger, more steadfast, and more resilient than ever.”
“People immediately began arriving with food for fire crews and waters for fire crews. And then the number of churches in our area who’ve reached out, I mean dozen plus, to offer support, facilities, equipment, you know, whatever they could, crews to come help clean up. So the response from the community has been really overwhelming,” Everson said.
Officials have not yet released a full assessment of the damage, and it was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured.
“We know that the Lord’s in control of it, and He’s got a good purpose and He’s always sustained us before, and He’ll sustain us through this and He has a plan for the church,” Everson said.