MEMPHIS, Tenn. — While many across the Mid-South are bouncing back from days of ice, one Olive Branch church saw the worst of it all from ice to a fire. Our Brittani Moncrease spoke with church members at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
From more than 100 years, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church has stood on Miller Road in Olive Branch, Mississippi. After a fire Wednesday night caused the entire church to collapse, church members said the building may be burned but not their faith.
“New Zion has been in this community for 109 years, so a legend just fell in,” said Billy Featherstone, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Chairman. After 109 years, the church was gone in a matter of hours. It was more than a place for worship. It was a place of faith in the community.
“My parents were here all their lives. They were here since the inception. My great grandfather was the first pastor here,” said Featherstone. He said around 5:45pm on Wednesday, neighbors heard what sounded like an explosion.
“The neighbor came by and noticed that it was smoldering and on fire,” said Featherstone. “The firemen immediately came because it was not that far away. It was raging then. The next thing that happened was the roof fell in.”
On an icy night with freezing temperatures, there was no other option but to let the fire burn.
Pastor Early Brewster said the fire started in the mechanical room, an enclosed space. Then, it rose to the ceiling causing it to collapse.
The building was closed at the time.
Thankfully, no one was inside or hurt.
“My heart was hurting, Pastor Brewster said. "Tears came to my eyes. Our membership was just beginning to grow back. After COVID 19, they were just beginning to come out."
“It’s going to be very difficult starting back and recouping that 109 years, but we’ve just got to start from where we are,” said Featherstone.
It is a start highlighted in a Bible verse deep within the rubble: “Jesus saith unto him. I am the way, the truth, and the light.”
“We just have to have the faith that that’s God’s promise and that we can come back from the ashes and be that bright phoenix in the neighborhood again,” said Featherstone. “We must rebuild. We can’t let 109 years go to waste.” It is a faith that is never wavering and ever strong.
Church members said fire investigators are still trying to figure out what cause the fire. In the meantime, the church is asking for prayers to keep pushing.