First Baptist Dallas Unveils Plan To Rebuild Sanctuary
First Baptist Dallas revealed plans to rebuild its 134-year-old historic sanctuary, which was largely destroyed by fire this summer. The church also launched a $95 million giving campaign to help pay for it.
“The next two years our goal is to raise $95 million,” Senior Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn said, explaining that the campaign will also support several other church ministries. “This is the largest Mission 18 campaign that we’ve ever undertaken as a church. ... it is also an opportunity for us to make history for the glory of God.”
Lovvorn outlined the proposed plans for the new sanctuary, which feature a larger steeple and more stained-glass windows.
The steeple’s size will mimic the church’s original steeple from the early 1900s, Lovvorn said.
“The steeple has been a symbolic cornerstone for our church, reminding us that Jesus Christ is our true cornerstone,” Lovvorn added.
Additionally, the church will restore and add in more stained-glass windows to “enhance the beauty of this place of worship,” he said.
Lovvorn noted that the design plans intend to honor the past while looking toward the future.
“We intend to celebrate our history and spiritual Legacy but look forward toward what God is going to do here,” he said. “Our plan is to preserve and secure and incorporate the historic exterior walls of the sanctuary, and we’ve been doing everything we can to shore those up during this season.”
The rebuilt sanctuary will also include a redesigned pulpit, expanded fellowship space, and an evaluated floor. The church is looking for a new location for its library, as well, he said.
While these are just early renderings of the design plans, Lovvorn said they are “what we believe God is calling us to do in this place.”
He said the design plans can remind congregants how “God brings beauty from ashes.”
Construction for the new sanctuary is set to start in January, CBS News reported.
Church members told CBS News they’d like the plans to include both traditional and contemporary features.
“(It’s) still planning to keep that magical, that ‘wow moment,’ that ‘wow factor’ as part of the sanctuary but seeing it just a little bit, maybe modernized,” church member Sarah Barrientos remarked to CBS News.
The destroyed chapel at First Baptist Church of Dallas on July 20, 2024, after a large fire the night before. (Photo courtesy of First Baptist Dallas)
Church member Daniel Ameri reflected that the church’s iconic sanctuary has “always been a symbol of what First Baptist Dallas is.”
He added, “To see the sanctuary rebuilt has meant a lot to me.”
Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire, but arson has been ruled out, according to First Baptist’s website.
Sunday services currently occur in the church’s Worship Center, an unscathed portion of the church’s sprawling campus. The church’s campus spans six blocks of downtown Dallas, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.
A four-alarm fire first erupted in the church’s basement on July 19, largely gutting the historic sanctuary. No injuries occurred from the fire.
The church has already repaired the sanctuary’s foundation and restored power to it since the fire occurred.
First Baptist has long served as an iconic symbol in downtown Dallas.
First Baptist was first organized in 1868, according to the church’s website. The cornerstone of the church’s building was then laid in 1890 by a small group of believers determined to begin a Baptist church in downtown Dallas.
Eventually the old sanctuary was expanded to seat 3,000 people. It served as the primary place of worship until 2013, when the church completed renovations and expansions, the church’s website said.
First Baptist has remained in downtown Dallas throughout its history and received a historical marker in 1968, TRR reported. The church has become a point of pride for congregants and preservationists alike.
The church is currently led by Dr. Robert Jeffress, who previously served a spiritual advisor to former President Donald Trump. He is a contributor to Fox News, author of 30 books, and host for a daily television program, “Pathway to Victory.”
The church currently boasts 16,000 members, according to its website. Throughout the years, Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Trump have visited it.
This piece is republished with permission from The Roys Report.
Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.