NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An East Nashville church congregation is moving forward with their weekly worship service Sunday despite losing their building to a devastating fire earlier this week.
The Scott Avenue Church of Christ will hold their Sunday service at 1 p.m. at the Ramsey Church of Christ, located less than 10 minutes away from their destroyed building. Minister Raymond Bass confirmed the temporary arrangement as the congregation begins to navigate their next steps following Thursday's 2-alarm fire.
The blaze left the church building a complete loss, with the roof caved in and charred remains throughout the structure. Fortunately, no one was inside the building when the fire broke out, and no injuries were reported.
"This has been one of the pillars here in the community for a while. And we've had some members that literally live here when the church was across the street. And now they built this one here. And so you know they're gonna be really hurt and devastated because a lot of these members have family have been baptized here, married here. So there's gonna be a lot of pictures, a lot of moments of treasure, a lot, just a lot of thought that what they saw here is just not gonna be here anymore," Bass said.
The church has served the East Nashville community for 65 years. The destroyed building was constructed about 25 years ago.
Bass said the congregation has received overwhelming support from the community during this difficult time.
"It feels really good to see people calling and checking. Normally it's usually the other way around. Normally we're the ones calling and checking on them. And so to get that reciprocated back is just to let you know that we've been doing a great job. And the people love what the church has done for them and what the church has meant to them," Bass said.
Fire investigators continue to examine the cause of the blaze. They have spoken with witnesses who live nearby.
Bass is considering grief counseling for congregation members, recognizing the emotional impact of losing a building with such deep community significance. Following their service, the congregation plans to discuss their future and determine their path forward.
Despite the devastation, Bass emphasized that the congregation's mission remains unchanged. The church has a sign in front of the building that reads "watch, pray and give hope" and "not today, Satan."
Watch our full coverage of the Scott Avenue Church of Christ fire and see how this resilient congregation is moving forward after losing their beloved building. Have you witnessed similar community support during difficult times? Share your story with us at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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