Hope rises from the ashes of a Lawrence County church that burned down in July

By: Alison Patton
Posted on: Friday, October 25, 2024

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WATERLOO, Ohio (WOUB) — Three churches in Lawrence and Gallia Counties were burned down over the summer, but only one of them is being rebuilt in Lawrence County. 

The cause of the fire: suspected arson. 

“It really shook me to my core to think that someone could do this. And why would they do it? And there’s no getting it back, obviously,” said Jodie Fowler, who went to the Fox Fairview church in Gallia County as a girl when it was still active.  

There’s nothing left of her church but ashes and memories. 

“So brush off the ashes and tend to your bruises, and put on the armor God gave to you and get busy. We’ve got work to do,” Fowler said, speaking to a crowd of people at the Fox Fairview Church. 

Fowler organized a caravan Sunday for the community to drive together and revisit the churches. 

Flag Springs Church in Gallia County burned down May 10, and a little under two months later on July 8 Rehobeth Church in Lawrence County burned too. Fox Fairview was the last church to catch fire on Aug. 6. 

The only active church was Rehobeth, although the other churches were used as community gathering spaces. 

The churches are about 15 minutes away from each other, but their locations are remote and off dirt roads. 

Selena Jenkins, Aid Township Volunteer Fire Department safety officer, was there the night of Rehobeth’s fire. 

“Any time you see any kind of a structure fire, whether it’s a residence or an outbuilding, but when you see a church, I think it hits a little different, a little deeper in the heart,” Jenkins said. 

The state fire marshals ruled the fires as suspected arson because of how close together they are and where they’re located, Jenkins said. 

There are no cameras to review and no suspects so far, which makes it hard to know what really happened. 

“Unless somebody steps forward, there’s no way to know. Arson is one of the hardest things to prove,” Jenkins said. 

There’s not much left to Rehobeth Church: three walls and a doorway of the basement remain standing. 

For Johnna Lunsford, the church she has been going to all her life along with her family members still holds memories.  

“My sister played the piano, and my mother and I sang and, up to her last few years, we sang together,” Lunsford said. “Although the building will be a little different, I’ll always have those memories.”

Lunsford said she raised her kids and grandkids at the church. 

On Sunday, her grandkids were playing on the Rehobeth Church steps. Lunsford says it brings her joy. 

“I’m happy to see the grandchildren here playing and enjoying the area, because we had just finished Bible school a few weeks before the church burned, and they loved coming for that,” Lunsford said. “It really does my heart good to see them. Looking forward to being back in the church.”

Funds raised by the community plus insurance money total about $130,000, which will be used to start on rebuilding in Lawrence County. 

Before reconstruction can begin, the remaining walls must be taken down. Lunsford says the walls might look solid, but it could be dangerous to put any more weight on them. 

Block laying of the basement begins Sunday. 

Lunsford said she hopes to start services in the basement during the winter while construction starts on the upstairs.