Streator Fire Department responds to the early morning fire at New Beginnings Baptist Church. SFD Facebook photo
A building that doubles as food pantry and fellowship hall for New Beginnings Baptist Church in Streator suffered major damage from a fire in the early morning hours of Oct. 11.
The Streator Fire Department arrived at 201 E. Bridge Street at 1:41 a.m. and was on the scene for three hours receiving assistance from five local agencies before extinguishing the fire in the building which sits roughly 50 yards across the parking lot from the church. Deacon Chair Mike Blakemore said fire department officials estimated the fire began around 1:30 a.m.
According to Blakemore the food pantry serves about 200 people weekly. “That’s going to be a big loss for our community,” he shared. “People are heartbroken as they hear about it.” The pantry included a 10×16 refrigerator/freezer that church members had recently saved up funds to purchase.
A statement from the church read, “We are grateful for the quick response from our Streator Fire Department and other area first responders. We praise God that no one was injured. The origins of the fire are under investigation, but we rest in knowing that God is in control.”
“God’s got a plan,” said Blakemore. He described the last year as having been rough – “we’ve had two men who are pillars of our church die.” The church is also in a leadership transition, after their former pastor, Mike Young, accepted a new ministry position downstate. “Mike and Wendy, they love us, and we love them,” he said.
Fire damage to the entrance of the food pantry/fellowship hall. Submitted photo
Young, who now serves at The Ridge Church in Carbondale, was still listed as the church contact with the fire department and was the first person notified of the fire. He offered his support from southern Illinois to his former home in the north, calling it “a huge loss to the community. But God’s got this, and it will be OK.”
“Our prayer is that it unites the church and the community even more,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s a building and buildings can be replaced.” In the last census, Streator’s population was estimated at 12,500, and the church has a significant outreach ministry in this small town straddling the border of LaSalle and Livingston counties.
“We’re strong,” said Blakemore who asked Illinois Baptists to remember the congregation in prayer. “Pray for unity and that God be glorified through this. That’s our hope.”
Prayer service
The church is hosting a special prayer service in its sanctuary Friday evening (Oct. 11) at 6 p.m. In a statement announcing the service, the church shared, “During this moment of loss, we desire to unite together in prayer as a church family. We invite other churches and community members to join us…. All are welcome.”
Interim Pastor David Peterman and Three Rivers Baptist Association Associational Missions Strategist Dan Eddington will lead the service.
In addition to housing the food pantry, Blakemore said a few Sunday school classes met in the building. However, he believed the classes could be moved into the main church building.
In the meantime, the immediate plan is to board up the shell of a building that remains. “We’ve got a mess to clean up,” he said.
The state fire marshal and ATF are investigating the fire as suspicious.