GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Church members flocked to take a look at what’s left after a massive fire on Thanksgiving that destroyed a large portion of their historic church in Gwinnett County.
A Channel 2 News viewer shared video of flames pouring from the First Pentecostal Church of Buford on East Moreno Street on Thursday night.
Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin talked to Pastor Jordan Copeland Friday evening about the damage and what’s next for the church.
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Copeland said it will take a lot of time and money but they plan to rebuild, despite the fire leaving the building, which dates back to the 1930s, as a shell of itself.
“All of my memories are here,” Copeland said.
He not only grew up in this church before taking over as pastor five years ago, but his father, the late Bishop Timothy Copeland, led the congregation there for three decades.
“Everything that reminded me of my dad was here. We lost him last year to dementia, which was a very tough thing for the church to take,” Copeland said.
Several of the church’s 500 members stopped by throughout the day to take a look at the damage.
All the while knowing that the building as Pastor Copeland said, “The building is not the church. The people are the church.”
They will still have church service on Sunday, at the nearby Buford Church of God.
Fire crews were out checking for hot spots on Friday evening.
They have not yet released the cause of the fire.
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