CONYERS, Ga. — A church congregation in Conyers is picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their church building on Friday. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Pastor K. Francis Smith says they had just purchased new furniture, a new roof and new AC units when it happened, and the Rockdale Fire Department says they think it originated near the sound booth -- on the second level of the sanctuary -- destroying everything inside.
“What I saw when I walked in, it felt like a nuclear holocaust,” Smith said.
Three days later, plastic is melted, chairs are burned, and soot is covering almost every surface of Excel Church on Flat Shoals Road. Smith has been the lead pastor of the church for decades. He says Friday morning’s fire has destroyed it all.
“Everything here- it’s a total loss, total loss, nothing salvageable here,” Smith said.
He says they had to quickly make a plan for worship that Sunday.
“We had 24 hours to pivot and get set up for the gym,” Smith noted.
And they’ll continue to use the gym for services and food distribution until they rebuild. But Smith says they do have hope, as amidst all the the destruction there was one plastic table that was not burned. The words that appeared on top of it: 'Excel Church.'
“And it let me know everything around it got burned except the church, the church is not the building -- the church is the people,” he said.
Smith says it could take six months and $5 million to rebuild, so over the next few weeks they plan on holding a concert and fundraising online. If people would like to donate, click here: https://www.excelchurch.tv/