How Many Texas Churches Have Burned Down?

WE’RE GETTING THE MESSAGE

“Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. They said to themselves, We will utterly subdue them; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.” Psalm 74:4-8

ANOTHER FIRE
This morning, we awoke to news that another Texas church was in the process of burning. To make this latest church fire even more sad, it was directly in front of a fire department. All of the fires below are connected to arson according to varied media reports. Some speculate there are many more ties to this recent string of Texas church fires when looking into back to 2008 and 2009. But very few reporters are looking past January 1, 2010 to investigate those possible connections. But reports suggest the ATF is starting to look back.

LISTING OF FIRES
Below is a list of fires that can easily be aggregated from news stories online. These the most recent. Most within a 200 mile radius. What most people do not know is that the arsonists have started some of the fires by making a circle of lighter fluid (or something similar) around the pulpit and then setting it on fire. Most of these fires start in the sanctuary.

1. Kearns, TX – 10/09 – ATF still investigating / can’t find church name at the moment.
2. Lumberton, TX – 12/9/09 – Fletcher Emanuel Church Alive. (suspect apprehended)
3. Canton, TX – - Lakeside Baptist Church
x. Canton, TX – 1/01/10 – Little Hope Baptist Church (ruled accidental)
4. Athens, TX – Faith Church
5. Athens, TX – 1/12/10 – Grace Community Church.
6. Athens, TX – Lake Athens Baptist Church
7. Tyler, TX – 1/16/09 – Tyland Baptist Church
8. Tyler, TX – 1/17/09 – First Christian Church Scientist
9. Lindale, TX – 1/20/09 – Fellowship of Prairie Creek Bethesda House of Prayer
10. Temple, TX – 1/19/09 – First Baptist Church
11. Saginaw, TX – 1/30/10 – Saginaw Park Baptist Church
12. Wills Point,TX – 2/4/10 – Russell Memorial United Methodist Church
13. Lindale, TX – 2/08/10 – Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church
14. Tyler, TX – 2/08/10 – Dover Baptist Church

Updated 2/10/10

(Note: Several of these may be a duplicate due to old incorrect media reports. If you can correct this list or add to it, please advise.)

Latest News Stories:

Washington Post: String of Texas church arsons worry congregations

LA Times: String of Texas church arsons since New Year’s worry congregations, no arrests have been made