Metro Atlanta pastors lose their home in fire after lightning strike

A couple in Suwanee no longer has a home, after officials say lightning struck their attic and started a fire.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services responded to the house around 9:30 Wednesday morning.

Michael and Denise Gibson were at work when the fire began.

They say their alarm and security system alerted them.

"There's so much water damage, you can feel the water under your feet," Michael Gibson said.

"Then the bathroom here is where the ceiling fell," Denise Gibson said.

The couple has lived in the house for more than 19 years. Both are pastors at Simply Redeemed through Christ Ministries in Sawanee.

"We've had church here, and we started our ministry here," Michael Gibson said.

Now part of the home's roof is gone, and its stars are covered in debris.

Denise Gibson says her faith is keeping her strong.

"It could have been a whole lot worse. We could have lost our life, but for the mere fact that God allowed us to escape this," she said.

The Gibsons say they plan to rebuild and are living in a hotel in the meantime.