In March of 2019, tragedy struck the Greater Union Baptist Church when a devastating fire engulfed the building. Fortunately, no one was inside at the time. The church had recently completed renovations just a few years prior, making the loss even more heartbreaking.
What made this event even more challenging was that Greater Union had been assisting another local congregation, St. Mary’s Baptist Church, which had also suffered a fire. Just as they were extending their support to another church in need, they found themselves in the same devastating predicament.
“We offered our services to them and did what we could," said Ronald Milburn. "A week later, I was in the same situation.”
Although the affected churches received generous donations to begin the rebuilding process, the timing was unfortunate. The COVID-19 pandemic soon swept across the world, creating significant obstacles to reconstruction.
“We couldn’t get any supplies in," said Milburn."We couldn’t get any workers because they needed to find other ways to support their families.”
Despite the setbacks, the church community never lost faith. Instead of dispersing, they found temporary refuge in a rented building, ensuring that their congregation remained united during the difficult period.
“Everybody didn’t separate," said Horace Smith. "We rented a building and stayed together until we got our church built again.”
Now, in 2025, after years of perseverance and unwavering faith, Greater Union Baptist Church has been fully restored, brick by brick. This coming Sunday at 2 p.m., the church will host a highly emotional service to celebrate their triumphant return.
“We are believers," said Milburn. "His grace and mercy saw us through.”
