Sunday Services Held In Parking Lot Of Burned Out Church
NORTH MIAMI (CBS4) – Members of the Eglise Evangelique des Pelerins, or "The Pilgrim Evangelical Church" in North Miami attended Sunday service in the parking lot after a fire destroyed their church on the Fourth of July.
The Reverend James Pasteurin said the church is celebrating their 19th anniversary this month and not even the loss of their building could stop them from coming together in prayer.
"These people desire to praise God. They understand the building fall down but the church not fall down," said Pasteurin.
A nearby church donated the seats and a local businessman donated a sound system for the service.
"We are Christians too, it's obedience, when you have something to give, there was no question about it," said Guillermo Martinez with Thunder Sound Services.
Neighbors who live near the church, on the corner of NW 119th Street and 13th Avenue, told Pasteurin they saw several kids playing on the roof with fireworks before the building erupted in flames Wednesday afternoon.
"Eyewitnesses told me there were six young men, some of them were on the roof, some of them were on the floor and after the fire started they all took off running," said Pasteurin.
So far none of those seen with the fireworks have been taken into custody.
"No leads yet, we are still waiting to here what the investigation has come up with," said Pasteurin.
"I think if this was started by fireworks, the parents need to talk to their kids," said Mayelin Oretega whose husband has a business across the street. "This was terrible."
The church, which has approximately 150 members, did not have insurance and Pasteurin said they don't have the money to rebuild. The fire didn't just affect the lives of the people in this community in South Florida it also affects the lives of 150 students in Haiti. This church was paying for their education.
"We don't know what's going to happen; we have to work here to build up this church," said Pateurin. "I know that God will make a way."
Profit Louis, 14, drove to North Miami from a sister church in Key West to show support and help begin the rebuilding process.
"I feel if we can just support this church it will rebuild," said Louis.
The building itself was a landmark in North Miami. In the 1950s, it was a bar called the Bottle Cap Inn. Throughout the years it was a number of different businesses including a pizza joint.
