Wedding & Event Venue Near Chester, SC

The structure built 40 years ago, was home to a congregation with a rich history spanning over 150 years.

CATAWBA, S.C. — A Chester County community is reeling after a massive fire engulfed a beloved church.

Mount Zion AME Zion Church was home to a congregation with a rich history spanning over 150 years. A large fire destroyed the church off of Canal Road in Catawba late Thursday night. As firefighters worked to battle the flames, heavy wind gusts caused the fire to spread.

“The last 12, 14 hours have been full of emotions, the ups and the downs," Rev. Andre Showers said. "It's also grief because it is a loss to us and there's a lot of history here."

Showers said the church was engulfed in flames, destroying the sanctuary.

"It's just devastating to see everything that you've been working toward, and seeing a vision come to fruition, and see it all in flames," he said.

Flames were seen coming through the roof when firefighters arrived. Crews faced several challenges, including no fire hydrants in the area and gusty winds fueling the flames.

"It took a truck, to get here to the field site, to a hydrant was roughly a seven-minute turnaround," Lando Fire Chief Darius Murphy said. "That was a hindrance, but we did have 10 tankers at least, shuttling water."

No one was hurt but the building was a complete loss.

“Older buildings burn a lot quicker and it has a lot of new material in there and so it had so much fuel just from the material that was already there and just the structure,” Murphy said.

The 40-year-old structure was left in ruins. The scene of charred wood, shattered windows and a collapsed roof was nothing short of heartbreaking as the remnants smoldered on Friday.

“It’s a church full of history, the land was donated years and years ago to build the old church,” Showers said. "As the church began to grow, they needed a different sanctuary and they built that structure."

It's a big loss for a community that's poured its heart and soul into the church.

"They have really sacrificed a lot in the last couple of years to get the church back on track and to make sure the church has what it needs,” Showers said.

Church fire in Chester County

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Jesse Pierre

A large fire destroyed Mount Zion A.M.E Zion Church off of Canal Rd. in Catawba, South Carolina in Chester County on Dec. 5, 2024.

Even in the face of tragedy, Showers said the church will overcome and their faith remains unshaken.

“We put our faith and trust in God because that is who we believe in and we know he is going to sustain us and carry us through,” Showers declared. “We will rise from the ashes as the phoenix does. We will not allow this to take us down or take us out. We are tenacious, with God’s help we can do any and everything. Our faith will not waver.”

State investigators were on the scene, which is standard protocol for church fires to ensure there was no foul play. Church leadership said the early signs point to a possible electrical issue but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The reverend said he has gotten so much support, from offers for a place to hold service and other things they need and for that they are thankful.

"We offer our prayers to the church community," the fire department said in a statement on Friday.

The response involved agencies including Fort Lawn Fire Protection District, Lesslie Fire-Rescue, Oakdale Fire, Lancaster County, Chester County EMS, the sheriff's office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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