OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. --
It wasn't an act of God, it was the act of an arsonist. Someone was so low they set fire to a church Monday morning off US-192 in Osceola County. The fire broke out at the New Faith Community Church on Holopaw Road, 13 miles east of St. Cloud (see map).
Because it's a church fire, a federal ATF agent was investigating along with four State Fire Marshal's detectives.
A phone call from a church member, who's also a firefighter, brought Pastor Tim Allen to the scene after 3:00am as the fellowship hall was burning.
"Very grateful it didn't hit the sanctuary. Our sanctuary is considerably older," Allen said.
He could only watch as flames quickly consumed the wooden roof of the 2,600 square-foot hall and gutted the inside.
Church members used their own hands to build it brick by brick ten years ago. It offered space for children's bible study classes, where meals were prepared and where the faithful survived other disasters.
"I listened to that roof during the hurricane season. Literally, the nails being pulled out of the rafters as we were in there when the hurricanes came through a few years back. It's served us well," Allen said.
Church members showed up all morning, eager to lend a hand for the newest challenge.
"Don't really know what to say or do. Just kinda sit and wait around till someone tells me how to help," church member Katy Schnider said.
Late Monday afternoon, State Fire Marshals told Eyewitness News someone set the fire to cover up a burglary. The same church was also broken into a few weeks ago.
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