SOUTH BEND — There is still not much known about the cause of the fire at Maranatha Fellowship 7th Day Sabbath Church, 1406 E. Ewing Ave. on Monday, July 6.
The call came in around 5:15 a.m. from a nearby neighbor who smelled smoke. South Bend firefighters quickly determined the blaze to be too hot and aggressive for them to safely work inside.
The first firefighters on scene declared a structure fire and as more crews arrived, they entered the church, Assistant Chief Fire Prevention Derek Erquhart said. In total, SBFD responded with 40 firefighters and 15 South Bend companies.
“They were trying to get where the fire was located inside,” Erquhart said. “They had extreme conditions, high heat. There was a lot of content [and] trouble finding the seed of the fire.
“And then as it progressed, companies reported the fire burning from floor to floor within the church.” Erquhart said. “At that point, the conditions were to the point where it was unsafe for us.”
The fire is believed to have started near the first floor of the church and burned through all the floors and the roof.
Investigators have not yet entered the building because of water in the basement, which needs to recede or be pumped out before investigators can safely enter, according Melissa Stephens, digital communications and multimedia coordinator with SBFD. There are no injuries or fatalities as a result of the fire, Stephens said.
Maranatha Ministries
Despite a lack of information, there may still be hope for the church.
Maranatha Fellowship Pastor Cathy Nilli told The Tribune the ministry had a restoration company come by Monday, July 6 and, she said, “it seems like it can be restored after the cleanup process.”
While the fire started sometime around 5:15 a.m., it wasn’t until 8 a.m. that Nilli received the news from a client.
“When I got the call, I was in shock,” Nilli said. “But somehow, I had an immeasurable peace. I really knew that God is going to restore Maranatha.
“Of course, it’s devastating because we’ve toiled there day and night,” Nilli said. “We work really hard to build our ministry and I just couldn’t understand why or how, but my faith is so strong, and we are so resolute that we’re going to be able to rebuild and move forward.”
The east side of the building was built in 1903, and the southern side was added in 1956. At the front of the original building is a time capsule built into the facade.
Maranatha Ministries began in October 2011 and has resided in the building since. Maranatha Ministries is referred to as a 24/7 ministry because, according to Nilli, they have offered temporary housing, food and household items such as clothes and furniture anytime someone is in need.
The thrift store — which according to Erquhart, was helping to fuel the fire — was part of the ministry’s Project Love. The project allowed the ministry to donate items of need to the community and to raise funds.
“There are some items that we sell to raise funds for the ministry, and then we donate to whoever [is] in need,” Nilli said. “It could be a homeless person. It could be a women’s shelter. We were donating to the YMCA or just single moms or single dads or whoever knocks on our door.”
Nilli told The Tribune the ministry is going to need help with the clean-up process.
The ministry has launched a GoFundMe for those who would like to help financially. For those who would like to find out more about ways they can help, call (574) 252-1378 or email Maranatha1406@yahoo.com.
“The outpouring of love and the messages and the phone calls have been so overwhelmingly encouraging because we go to work every day and we try to do the best we can for South Bend and the surrounding communities,” Nilli said. “But yesterday really showed us how valuable we have been to the masses and that really encouraged us so much.”
Email Tribune staff writer Juliane Balog at jbalog@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend church vows to move ahead after fire, cause still not known
Reporting by Juliane Balog , South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Juliane Balog , South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
