Two congregations looking for new home after fire damages Henrico church

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – Two church congregations in Henrico County are searching for a new place to worship after a fire damaged their building and left a massive hole in the roof.

Henrico County Division of Fire crews arrived at the scene around 9:24 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and firefighters were able to contain the blaze within 20 minutes. While no injuries were reported, the fire caused significant damage to the building and left behind debris, water damage and a lingering smell of smoke.

The fire impacted two congregations that worshiped in the building — a Seventh Day Adventist Church which primarily serves a Spanish-speaking congregation and Deeper Life Bible Church, which rents the basement on the opposite side of the building from where the fire broke out.

Both congregations will now have to find new venues for their services, but Adewale Egbowon, the pastor at Deeper Life Bible Church, said the important thing is no one was hurt in the fire.

“That’s the beautiful, good good aspect of it,” said Pastor Egbowon. “At least no lives were lost.”

While the fire did not spread to the space Deeper Life Bible Church rents, the congregation will still need to find a new space for their Sunday worship.

“When things like this happen, it is something that makes you feel really bad,” said Pastor Egbowon. “But it shouldn’t make you lose faith.”

Though the future of both churches remains uncertain, Pastor Egbowon expressed optimism that everything will work out as it’s supposed to.

“We are putting our heads together to think about what we do next,” he said.

The Henrico Fire Marshal’s office is still investigating the cause of the fire.

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