Support being offered by Presbytery de Cristo, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the community

July 24, 2023

First Presbyterian Church in Douglas, Arizona, was severely damaged by a fire Monday. Authorities have charged a man with setting the fire that damaged the church and a neighboring house of worship, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. (Photo by Gregg Brekke for the Presbyterian Foundation)

The congregation and leadership of a Presbyterian church that was set on fire in late May in Douglas, Arizona, is determined not to give up despite major damage to the building.

Known for its benevolent work with migrants, First Presbyterian Church burned, along with neighboring St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, as the result of what authorities believe were intentionally set fires.

Despite the shocking nature of the fires and uncertainty about the future, the Rev. Peggy Christiansen, a co-pastor of First Presbyterian, speaks with determination.

“What we want people to know is that we are persevering in the spirit of love,” Christiansen said. “There is no act of hate that can overcome that and that we are in this for the long haul.”

Both St. Stephen’s and First Presbyterian were unoccupied at the time of the fires and no injuries were reported, according to authorities with the city of Douglas.

Along with significant damage to the roof of First Presbyterian, “the sanctuary floor is also collapsed,” Christiansen said. “There’s no more pulpit. There’s no more baptismal font. There was a beautiful wooden cross on the wall; that’s gone. We have these gorgeous stained-glass windows and they’re severely damaged. It’s hard to say what’s going to be possible to save.”

“The city of Douglas is reeling and they’re also very shocked that someone would do this,” said the Rev. Peggy Christensen, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church. (Photo by Gregg Brekke for the Presbyterian Foundation)

In the wake of the fire, Presbytery de Cristo has been walking alongside the congregation in various ways. The church’s determination to push forward and worship immediately afterward shows “that Jesus is alive and present within them, and the wind of the Holy Spirit continues to blow through the gathering of First Presbyterian, Douglas,” said the Rev. Brad Munroe, the presbytery pastor.

Munroe said that along with assistance offered from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, there has been an “outpouring of personal and congregational offers” of support. For example, “I have heard everything from ‘Hey, we bought too many hymnals’ to ‘Hey, we have Bibles. We have pews.’” Also, the presbytery has been in contact with officials from The Episcopal Church so they can be in the loop as requests and offers of support come in.

Christiansen spoke of how loving the Douglas community has been. “We’ve had offers from the Methodist church, offers from the Catholic church, the Mormon church, the Baptist church. You name it,” she said, calling the response “amazing.”

Both fire-damaged churches are located in Douglas’ historic Church Square, where there are a total of four churches, each representing a different denomination and reflecting the area’s diverse faith traditions, according to the city of Douglas and Christiansen.

“It’s devastating for people in many ways, because this is not just a historic, beautiful sanctuary for the Presbyterian Church, but it is also that for the city of Douglas,” she said. “This is a small town, and this is one of the few beautiful landmarks we have here, and so the city of Douglas is reeling and they’re also very shocked that someone would do this.”

Prior to the fire, “we have not received direct threats that I know of,” said Christiansen.

“As far as our congregation goes, you know, they’re obviously in shock and in grief. On the other hand, I have to say that, as of today, I am feeling very hopeful,” Christiansen said. “So many people have reached out with offers to help and it looks like it might be possible to rebuild. That is not a definitive statement, but apparently that possibility exists.”

There’s also a possibility that the church’s fellowship hall, which is adjacent to the sanctuary, might be useable at some point. But the whole situation is still being assessed, Christiansen said.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is providing an emergency grant to help the church address its immediate needs. “The purpose of it is to be used to enable the church to continue their ongoing ministry to the community that is at risk because of the damage,” said the Rev. James Kirk, National Disaster Associate.

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: First Presbyterian Church in Douglas, Arizona damaged by devastating fire

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Josh Heikkila, Mission co-worker serving in Ghana, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency
David Heilman, Director, Enterprise Applications, Information Technology, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

God of eternal hope, thank you for our many gifts. Forgive us for ways we fail in honoring this grace, and renew our strength to hope. Empower us to walk, run and soar in service to you. Amen.