The First Baptist Church in Mount Holly at 300 S. Main St. caught fire on Thursday just after 3 p.m., 911 communications said.
The fire was reported by a nearby resident who said they saw smoke coming from the building, Mount Holly Fire Chief Ryan Baker said.
The flames were coming from the church’s sanctuary and it took 150 fire and emergency personnel coming from 16 agencies in the area to put the fire out around 6:30 p.m., Baker said.
The church is almost 100 years old, with the sanctuary being built in 1924, the church’s website shows.
Baker said the fire didn’t extend past the sanctuary not the education wing, but the sanctuary’s roof seemed almost destroyed.
No one was injured and there were no church occupants at the time.
Church members are devastated by the damage. Over 50 people came together in a prayer circle led by Gaston County Fire Chaplain Brad Hall on the church’s lawn just before the flames were contained.
