Saginaw Church Rebuilds After Fire

Members of the Saginaw Park Baptist Church are celebrating a rebirth after a fire ravaged their sanctuary more than a year ago.

The 50-year-old church held two services Sunday to celebrate the re-dedication of the church.

Though a year has passed and members now enjoy what is mostly a brand new church, the memory of the fire that tore the church's attic and ruined much of the sanctuary, is still very much alive.

"It was pretty devastating because a lot of members have been here for a long time. Their children have been, you know, they've grown up here, married here, baptized here and things like that," said Pastor Dennis Hudson.

Lifelong member and deacon of the church, Mark Thetford, watched helplessly as the fire burned through the building.

"I think this is the way God makes new beginnings, takes something old and makes it new," said Thetford.

Thetford thought it was important that the church save as much of the old building as possible.

"You've got to have something, a foundation, and we had a foundation so when you've got that then you can build from that," Thetford said. "But there might be bigger and better things down the road so that's what we're excited about."

The congregation met at nearby Diamond Hill Baptist Church during construction.

It took close to $1 million to rebuild, which included bringing the church that was building 1957, up to code.

"Even though it's not a new buidling, it looks brand new and there's just a lot of excitement about being back home," said Hudson.

The end result is a reminder of answered prayers.

"I knew this church would be rebuilt. God always has a plan and nobody knows what the plan is," said Danita Tutt, who was baptized in the church as a child.

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