Around 2 AM, a lightning strike during a storm caused a fire in the First Baptist Church of Chickamauga EDGE Building, ironically starting at the fire alarm panel in the electrical closet. Thankfully, the panel sent an alert before being destroyed, allowing firefighters from Chickamauga and Fairview to respond quickly and contain the fire with extinguishers.
The damage was limited to the electrical closet, though some equipment was affected. The Fire Marshal has closed the building until the system is inspected and repairs are made. Smoke has also left a strong odor in the building.
First Baptist Church of Chickamauga is working with the insurance company and lining up professionals to begin restoration.
In the meantime, here are the changes for this week’s schedule:
Wednesday, April 23:
Student Ministry (6th–12th) will meet in the gym at the usual time.
Children’s Ministry (Pre-K–5th) will meet in the Education Building.
All other activities will continue as usual.
Sunday, April 27: 4. All services (8:30, 9:45, 11:00 AM) will be held in the sanctuary. 5. Michael Savadge’s Sunday School group will not meet. 6. Tracy Leming’s group will meet in the Parlor Room (Glenn Fellowship Hall). 7. Choir and accompanists will practice in the choir room.
First Baptist Church of Chickamauga’s Associate Pastor, Michael Savadge says, he is grateful for:
The alert system and fire wall that did their job.
Firefighters’ quick response.
No water damage was caused.
Most equipment appears to still be functional.