Fire guts historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, Delaware: "This is not the end of our story"
The historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, Delaware, was destroyed in a fire early Sunday morning.
The two-alarm fire started around 3 a.m. and took about 90 minutes to get under control, Wilmington Fire officials said. Photos provided by the department show flames shooting from the now-gutted church on N. Franklin Street.
Several nearby homes were temporarily evacuated because of the heat and embers coming from the fire, but no other houses or buildings were damaged.
"In moments like these, we are reminded that the church is more than a building – if it's the people, the faith and the community that continues to stand together," Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker II said in a statement shared on the congregation's Facebook page. "We sincerely thank the fire department, first responders, and everyone who was reached out with prayers, love and support."
"This is not the end of our story. So I'm just expecting greater things on the horizon," Whitaker told CBS News Philadelphia.
Rep. Sarah McBride, who represents the entire state of Delaware in Congress, said her heart breaks for the church community.
"Mother African is a staple of Delaware's Black community, our state's faith traditions, and the liberation struggle it was founded in more than 210 years ago. The loss of their beautiful house of worship is devastating news for all who gathered there, organized there, prayed there, and made memories there," she wrote on social media. "I know all of us will be there for the Mother African family, led by Rev. Dr. Whitaker, as they chart the path for this faith community to once again turn hardship into hope and pain into progress."
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while responding to the blaze, the Wilmington Fire Department said, but no civilians were hurt. The charred building is structurally unstable, according to fire officials, and can't be entered until an evaluation is performed on the remaining structure.
First responders said the biggest challenge was the fire's intensity.
"When you have 30, 40-foot flames and those embers, there was a bit of a breeze out, some of that was starting to land onto the roofs of nearby homes," Wilmington Fire Department Chief John Looney said.
In a statement, Wilmington City Council President Trippi Congo said the church's story is "deeply woven into the story of Delaware itself."
"Through some of the darkest chapters in American history, Mother African Union Church stood as a light that could not be extinguished. During slavery, this sacred institution helped give birth to the August Quarterly, one of the oldest continuously celebrated African American religious festivals in the nation," Congo said in part.
The August Quarterly, started in 1814, is a festival in Wilmington that commemorates and celebrates the African American experience and history.
The church, which was founded in 1813, also played a role in the Underground Railroad and the Civil Rights era, according to Congo.
The Wilmington Fire Marshal's Office is currently investigating what caused the massive fire.
Members of the community said the church's impact stretched beyond its walls.
"Rebuilding the church is one thing, that's building, bricks. But the soul of the church what cannot be replaced. But the elders and the saints of the church will always keep this place in our hearts," said Pat Bailey, who lives near the church. "You cannot destroy the soul of the church."
Rev. Lawrence Livingston, who was pastor at the church for 22 years, said it's always been a gathering place for the community and meetings there have sparked advocacy and activism.
"Not only has the Black church pushed the nation toward democracy and freedom and called on the nation to say, let's be true to our word, well, this is a congregation that really kind of stands for that and stands on that," Livingston said. "Of course, following the Lord Jesus Christ, a North African man named Jesus, but beyond that, even, they have spoken to the community in so many different ways."
Church leaders said support has been pouring in from across the country.
Despite the devastation, Whitaker said the congregation is determined to move forward.
"For more than two centuries, this congregation has survived hardship, injustice, storms and struggle," Whitaker said. "And by the grace of god, we are still standing."
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said the state is ready to support the church rebuild.
Church leaders are now working to find a temporary space to hold services.
"This congregation was the first incorporated African American congregation in the country," Livingston said. "Not just in Wilmington, but in the entire nation, and that's significant."