House of prayer burns
A fire in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine completely destroyed one of our largest partner churches in Ukraine. Church members struggle to find new meeting places for worship and nearly all the Bibles and training materials we use for our ministry throughout Southern Ukraine were destroyed.
A local newspaper in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine reports (translated below): http://bit.ly/9EXvED
House of prayer burns in Dnepropetrovsk
On 21st October, a fire occurred in the Central Church of the Evangelical Christians and Baptists in the city of Dnipropetrovsk, 39 Degtyaryova St, the pastor name is Sergei Sizonenko.
This is the ECB (Evangelical Christians and Baptists) building in the city, which was designed for 1500 seats. The fire started in the attic of the church during a regular church service, at approximately 19:00. The building was completely destroyed by fire - destroyed the walls and roof collapsed. Currently under investigation by police and fire service.
From the words of Victor Lotko, head of the ECB (Evangelical Christians and Baptists) in Dnipropetrovsk Region, the fire outbreak occurred when the majority of people left the church after the service. During the service the smell of smoke was sensed in the sanctuary, but due to the fact that the neighborhood was burning leaves the congregation decided that is was smoke from outside where individuals were burning fall leaves and trash.
When the people left the sanctuary and the building was closed – some people saw flames through the roof. Initially it seemed that the fire started or broke out in the utility room, the fire quickly swallowed the storage room with Bibles, New Testaments and Bible Study materials, and spread to the main part of the sanctuary and the whole church building.
Because no one ran into the building to save any equipment or benches or literature, hence all the documents of the church, their library, Church literature and a room full of Bibles, New Testaments and Children’s Bibles also burned. Due to the operational work of the Ministry for Emergencies – a part of the first floor was not destroyed by fire, because the firefighters poured water, and something was saved but waterlogged. Any literature that didn’t burn was destroyed by water.
According to Pastor Sergey Vladimirovich Sizonenka, the fire spread quickly, so firefighters had to exert much effort to take the situation under control. Fire from the back of the building ignited the roof the entire building, so that by the time the fire engines came and their serious fire equipment could not save the roof. Approximately 2 hours of burning, the roof collapsed and, consequently, broke the main room, where the worship hall exists. Only firefighters managed to bring the situation under control. And to 0.30 - 1.00 (10.22.2010) all embers of fire were eliminated.
Please pray for spiritual strengthening the faithful local church in Dnipropetrovsk.
