Bibles survive unharmed in West Virginia church fire, fire officials say
Hours before Sunday mass was scheduled to start this past weekend, a fire broke out at the Freedom Ministries Church in Daniels, West Virginia.
"Picture this, a building so hot that at one point in time, firefighters had to back out," the Coal City Fire Department, which joined the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department to stop the fire, wrote in a Facebook post. "In your mind, everything should be burned, ashes."
Images show expected levels of damage, with burned walls and a blackened cross left on the wall.
But while that damage was evident, firefighters found some items that were spared: the church's Bibles.
"Not a single Bible was burned and not a single cross was harmed!!" the fire department wrote. "Not a single firefighter was hurt!"
Not a single Bible was burned and not a single cross was harmed!!
On their own Facebook, Freedom Ministries wrote on Sunday they "will have to rebuild but we will be ok," adding that they were coming back from a youth conference and would join in prayer that evening at the church.
The church asked for prayers for Pastor Phil and Candice Farrington as well as the whole "church family."
The fire department's images of the surviving Bibles quickly went viral, garnering many messages of support.
Freedom Ministries said in a Facebook comment, "We are overwhelmed with all the love, prayers, concerns, and offers of help!! God is working, we know. We cant thank you all enough. Please know we love you and are for ever grateful."
Neither the church nor the fire department immediately responded to requests for comment from ABC News.
