A church custodian discovered the fire early Monday.
While firefighters were able to contain the blaze in about 20 minutes, the smoke damage was heavy. A ventilation system spread the smell.
Investigators believe the fire was an accident; they have focused their investigation on an electrical outlet near the pulpit, Fire Department spokesman Brian Crawford said.
``The perception is that it was a little fire,'' the Rev. Roosevelt Seaberry said. ``But the extent of the damage will be at least $250,000 throughout the building. We will be displaced for six to seven months.''
Seaberry and custodian Claudell Jackson are trying to figure out how to convert the church gymnasium into a place to hold services at 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday. And with about 1,000 members, it is no easy task, said Seaberry, who doubles as director of pastoral services at LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
