"The building may be shut down, but we’re not shut down," said Bishop Ronald Bailey, head pastor of Love Gospel Assembly on Grand Concourse in Fordham. "We’re very positive we can overcome this. This can be a catalyst for us."
The four-alarm blaze broke out around 1:30 a.m. inside the three-story building. It took 160 firefighters almost 90 minutes to bring the flames under control.
The cause is under investigation, but it does not appear to be suspicious, fire officials said.
"Inside, it's pretty bad -- it's gutted,'' said the Rev. Pura Coniglio, the church's lawyer. "We all saw the flames [on TV] coming out of the windows of the upper temple."
Vowing to overcome the devastation, close to 200 members held a prayer gathering today in the adjoining parking lot.
The crowd broke into applause and a chorus of "Hallelujahs" erupted when Bailey arrived to address his tearful flock.
"I’m devastated, but we’re crossing our Jordan," said congregant Stacey Jordan. "God is going to move this family forward."
The non-denominational church boasts between 600 to 800 members and has been a pillar in the community for more than 30 years — running a soup kitchen for the needy, as well as providing a GED program and referral services, locals said.
Bailey promised that the soup kitchen, which he estimated serves 400 people daily, will continue to provide meals in the parking lot.
Five firefighters and two civilians suffered minor injuries in the blaze, fire officials said.
Tragedy previously struck the Love Gospel Assembly on Sept. 23, 2005, when off-duty cop Michael Carlo fatally struck 12-year-old Virginia Verdee with his Jeep as the girl walked home from an evening church service there.
Republished with permission of The New York Post.
