In a service Sunday morning, First Baptist Dallas plans to mark the anniversary of a July 19 four-alarm fire that destroyed its historic sanctuary.
Related:First Baptist Dallas demolishes old sanctuary, preserving pieces of the past
The 134-year-old sanctuary, located in the heart of downtown Dallas, served as the church’s primary place of worship for over a century before a $130 million expansion was completed in 2013.
The service will honor first responders who fought and contained the fire, according to a news release from the church.
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The old sanctuary, which served as a secondary chapel for First Baptist, has been mostly demolished, senior executive pastor Ben Lovvorn told The Dallas Morning News this week. The church is still planning to preserve and restore two remaining walls of the old building, he said.
Lovvorn said the church hopes to break ground on reconstruction of the sanctuary in January 2026 and complete the rebuild by Easter 2028.
Related:First Baptist Dallas shares renderings for rebuild of sanctuary damaged in fire
The rebuild of the sanctuary will have a special significance for congregants like Jim Wicker, a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He told The News that at least 12 people in his extended family were married at First Baptist’s historic chapel. Wicker, who plans to attend the service Sunday, teaches Sunday school classes at the church and said at least six generations of his family have attended there.
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He rushed to the church last July after hearing news of the fire, and said years of memories flooded back as he watched the flames.
“My major spiritual milestones,” Wicker said, “all happened there in the historic sanctuary.”
Related:First Baptist Dallas holds 1st Sunday service since fire destroyed historic chapel
Lovvorn, the senior executive pastor, said the church doesn’t have a cost estimate for the rebuild. First Baptist is currently running a fundraising campaign with a goal of $95 million for “our 2025-2026 ministry budget, the reconstruction of the Sanctuary, and the enhancement of our church campus,” according to its website.
The church released renderings in October that provided a first look at its plans for the rebuild. The reconstructed sanctuary will be modeled after a 1908 design of the building, which has been through four remodelings, senior pastor Robert Jeffress told The News in October.
The building’s steeple will also resemble the steeple in the 1908 design, Jeffress said. The church hopes the steeple will light up at night and become a downtown Dallas landmark.
First Baptist selected the Beck Group, one of Dallas’ best-known design and construction companies, to lead the rebuild. The church worked with the Beck Group on two recent projects, including its 2013 expansion.