Fire destroys Pilgrim's Rest Church at Fairdealing

FAIRDEALING — The Fairdealing community is rallying after fire destroyed the Pilgrim’s Rest Church early Sunday morning.

“From the second that it happened, people, just right and left, have been offering things, giving their support for the whole community,” said Jim Willis, a church board member.

Church members, Willis said, were out working Monday at the building, where they have worshiped since the mid-’70s.

“We’re definitely going to rebuild,” said Willis, who estimated the congregation at between 60 to 80 on Sundays.

But, until that happens, Willis said, the church has received several offers of places to hold services, including at the former Methodist church in Fairdealing.

Willis said there is absolutely nothing left of the church, with the exception of the “front cross still standing.”

The fire that destroyed Pilgrim’s Rest was reported just before 1 a.m. Sunday, said Logan Creek Fire Chief Terry Slayton.

“It’s my understanding, through my channels, that multiple people called it in,” he said.

At the time of the calls, Slayton said, it was reported the church was fully engulfed.

“We arrived with heavy smoke showing everywhere, but no fire going through the roof yet,” Slayton explained. “We geared up, thinking we could make entry.

“Upon trying to go through the northeast handicapped door, there was no sanctuary floor left. One step over the threshold, you would have went into the basement.”

At that point, Slayton said, firefighters took “more of a defensive” approach.

Slayton estimated about 20,000 to 25,000 gallons of water was “put on it just to try to slow it down.”

The fire, Slayton said, broke through the roof within 30 minutes of the fire department’s arrival.

“The church had a vaulted ceiling so there was no attic for the fire to have to go through,” Slayton explained. “Once it burned the top … then it just was able to fall in.

“We basically called it (and) let itself burn out.”

Although it is a guess, Slayton said, the fire was probably burning “nothing less than an hour before smoke was noticed.”

Willis said firefighters, like himself, made a “special effort to make sure that (an exterior Christ mural) didn’t burn down.”

Firefighters, Slayton said, remained on the scene until about 6:35 a.m.

Mutual aid, he said, was requested from the Oxly, Highway K, Purman and Doniphan fire departments.

Those departments, according to Slayton, not only provided water, but also manpower.

The cause of the fire, Slayton said, is being investigated by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives also was notified since a church was involved.

What remains of the church, Slayton said, is “very dangerous right now. … All the wood structure burned off the end walls, but the brick is still standing.”

The church’s north wall has a “little piece left that has the cross on it, and the south wall because it was so high is still standing.”

That wall, he said, was “essentially” built for a fire escape, which fire personnel believe is holding the wall together.

With their church in ruins, Willis said, the congregants “after the initial shock of everything (and) all the memories, all they could think about is others. They’re really awesome people.”

Willis said the church members already are talking about restarting the food pantry, as well as doing the shoe boxes and clothing pantry for Christmas.

The plan is to have those ministries “back up even before the building is back up,” said Willis, who indicated the Facebook posts show “how many the church has effected over the years.

“The church there is just full of good people,” including Pastor Ron Payne and his wife, who Willis described as “the best.”