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Storms worsen damage at Tampa church that caught fire

The insurance company is still surveying the property.

As ATF agents survey the damage at Faith Lutheran Church in Tampa, Pastor Russell Meyer says there’s going to be a long road ahead.

“The contents, everything on the inside, all the soft goods are a loss," Meyer explained.

The fire, which started in an electrical unit, spread up the building to the roof. It raced along the plastic skylight which centers over the sanctuary. With parts of it still dangling from the ceiling, it leaves the place of worship with a gaping hole.

The most damage is in the library.

“The back of the church really became an inferno, and you can see from the library it is just charcoal now," Meyer said.

Inside the library are church keepsakes, photo albums of events through the years and books. It also served as a meeting space. The building is home to not just one church, but two. In addition to a series of outreach programs, it also offers a daily daycare serving underprivileged members of the community.

“Right now, our daycare is closed until there has been some settling here.”

The church, built in the 1950s, was damaged even more by heavy rain from storms this weekend. Water-logged pews will have to be replaced.

Keith Babb is the pastor of The Way Church of Tampa Bay, which also hosts services in the sanctuary.

“We’re just praying we can find an alternative place to have our services at,” Babb said.

With no timeline for how long it will take to fix the sanctuary, services will be held in the fellowship hall.

The pastor says they will make do with what they have. He says nothing will stop them from having service.

“We love God. We support one another. We serve our community. That is who we are. That has not been changed by a burning roof,” said Meyer.

Community support for Faith Lutheran Church has been pouring in, with several people offering to help fix it up for free.

For now, they’re waiting on the insurance company to give an estimate of the damage and repairs.

If you’d like to help, you can contact them on Facebook here.

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