Freeport church rebuilds less than a year after devastating fire

FREEPORT - New Beginnings Church of Freeport has risen again, a year after burning to the ground while church members watched in horror.

The new sanctuary opened several weeks ago and will be dedicated Sunday, with hundreds expected to attend.

"When our church burned, we were just devastated," said church member Zena Owens. "But we're happy to be home again."

The new building is 2,000 square feet larger than the old one, although portions of it are not complete.

Pastor Louis Taunton said the congregation focused on funding and completing the half of the building that holds the sanctuary, the nursery, the restrooms and some office space.

The fellowship hall and other classrooms will be completed as money becomes available. Taunton said their goal is not to borrow any money.

Overall, members say they were blessed, although it was heartbreaking to lose a building they had built with their own hands.

Because of problems with fire hydrants that have since been corrected, firefighters didn't have enough water to fight the blaze on Friday, July 6, 2007. Church members could only stare as the 15,000-square-foot building burned to the ground that evening.

"It burned all night," Taunton said.

The fire destroyed Taunton's extensive personal library, church members' personal possessions and every piece of furniture except one children's altar that somehow survived the flames.

"I wanted to fall down on my knees and start praying," said church member Raylene Lavender, who was among those watching that night.

The rebuilding process began almost immediately and church members continued to attend services, first in a funeral home in Freeport and later in the Portland Community Center.

Within two weeks, they had a check from the insurance company, which would have paid for the construction of a brand new building had they not had a mortgage to pay off first. After paying that tab, they had enough to construct the exterior building and complete about half of the interior work.

The destruction of the church, which was built in 2000, affected many in the Freeport community, even those who attend other churches.

"I think everybody did a lot of soul-searching," said member Mike Sylvest, whose company has done most of the landscaping work for the new building at no charge.

"I was moved to see what effect it had on the community," he said. Working on the new church has been therapeutic. "It came out even more beautiful. It kind of teaches you something about how God works."

Looking back, Taunton can see many ways that the fire was a blessing in disguise. The new church has been built to survive everything from 300 mph winds to fire, which has led to a substantial reduction in their insurance rates.

He also points to changes the fire department made in the wake of the fire, including assigning someone full-time to the task of checking hydrants.

"We've got a good city, a good fire department," he said. "It was just one of those things."

Taunton said offers of assistance came in from all the area churches, regardless of denomination, and many offered donations as well.

"It was one of the greatest outpourings of love and compassion that I've ever seen," Taunton said. "I must have gotten 200 to 300 calls in the first days after the fire."

In those first days, he was barely able to function, filled with grief and angst about what to do next and how to keep his congregation together.

"It was a low like I've never had in my entire life," he said. "After that fire, I found out more so than ever that the church is not the building.

"The church is the people."

How to attend: the new sanctuary of New Beginnings Church of Freeport will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Sunday. The public is invited.