Historic Massachusetts church reopens six years after devastating fire

A historic church that burned down six years ago welcomed back its members this morning.

The newly rebuilt First Baptist Church of Wakefield opened its doors years after a fire destroyed the 150-year-old building.

It was a severe mercy, severe in that it was so traumatic, such a blow but yet in god’s mercy it has really opened the door for a new start, really a resurrection, said Pastor Doug Dry.

The flames—believed to have been started by a lightning strike took out the historic building with its iconic 180-foot spire. The congregation was in such disbelief that it took a year of praying and determining whether they would rebuild.

“We had plans for this church that twice we put out for bid and twice came in a million dollars over our budget,” said building team chairperson, Elaine Pappas,

Through insurance claims and money raised from the community, the building is debt-free and welcomes everyone.

“The advantage of this church is it’s all on one floor. It is the most handicap-accessible building in Wakefield and churches are exempt from that requirement so we made a commitment that we wanted to make sure that everyone would be able to access the church at any ability level,” Pappas added.

Pastor Doug Dry says this brand-new building is giving this congregation a fresh start.

“A building that’s different than the old in that it’s a little more contemporary but it’s one that I really think suits ministry for today. It’s light, it’s open, it’s airy I love the fact that we can see out and other people can see in.

The church celebrated with a grand reopening on Sunday morning and has an open house scheduled for next weekend.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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