Fire damages Greater Waltown United Holy Church in Durham; Service held in front of charred building

A fire on Saturday night leaves a Durham congregation without a church. And, that didn't stop them from gathering for Sunday morning worship service.

The Greater Waltown United Holy Church congregation braved the sweltering heat with their beloved building of nearly four decades left in ruins acting as the backdrop of their service.

"We're here sending a message that even though the building itself may have been devastated or affected by the fire, our faith has not," said Pastor Timothy Moore.

Around 9 p.m. on Saturday night, more than 50 Durham firefighters responded to the church on Belvin Avenue to find flames shooting through the roof. It took about half an hour to get the fire under control.

And it's still unclear what started the fire.

"We don't know how this happened but we're not focused so much on how it happened. Our focus is now on moving forward," Pastor Moore said.

On Sunday morning, worshipers dusted the ash off of folding chairs determined to have their normal Sunday. And through the power of prayer and praise, they remain hopeful.

"We are very confident that God is going to get us through this process and not only get us through the process but we believe that at the end it's going to be much better than it was before," Pastor Moore said.

The church also serves as a community food and clothing pantry that's open on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Pastor Moore says they will continue to open the food pantry as they rebuild.

If you would like to help-visit the church'swebsite.

In all, DFD said it took 30 minutes and 52 Firefighters to get the fire under control. Durham Fire said the department received assistance from Durham County EMS, Durham police, and the Lebanon Fire Department.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.