Robert Jeffress and his First Baptist Dallas will rebuild after a fire destroyed its sanctuary. Photo: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Washington Post via Getty Images
First Baptist Dallas plans to spend $27 million to reconstruct its 134-year-old sanctuary that was destroyed in a four-alarm fire in July.
Why it matters: Established in 1868, First Baptist is the only downtown Dallas church still on its original site. The church has a large downtown footprint, taking up several blocks.
State of play: The demolition process was close to being finished last week, and crews were removing pieces of stone from the sanctuary's northern wall, senior executive pastor Ben Lovvorn said in a video.
The new sanctuary will move to the second floor, and a multipurpose venue will be built on the ground floor.
The church hopes to feature the original walls and stained glass in the new structure, which will be oriented north-south to allow the preserved stained glass to glimmer more prominently.
"We are excited to kick off 2025, as we don't just survive through this, but we thrive," Lovvorn said in the new video.
Between the lines: The megachurch is led by Robert Jeffress, who has been a strong supporter of President-elect Trump for years.
