Odin | Authorities are treating a fire at Bethel Baptist Church as arson, said the church’s pastor, Kevin Cox. The fire, which likely was set July 4 or 5, did extensive damage inside the building and is still under investigation.
The 186-year-old church is facing a “long process” to recover from the blaze, Cox said, but God is already providing, he added. People have reached out to ask how they can pray for the church, and a sister congregation, First Baptist in Odin, offered use of their facility for worship services.
The current building is the church’s second facility in its long history. “It will be back again, I have no doubt about that,” Cox said of his church, which runs around 50 people in worship. “And I truly believe God is going to bring good out of this.”
The pastor asked for prayer for his church as they make numerous decisions in the days ahead. They’re thankful no one was hurt, he said, and the things that were lost can be replaced. “Nothing that Satan does can stop the church,” Cox said. “He can burn down the building all he wants, but the building’s not the church. And all it will do is serve to make us stronger.”