SAN ANTONIO — On Sunday mornings for more than two years, members of the Huntleigh Park Baptist Church said they have been worshipping at an east side funeral chapel.
After a massive fire destroyed their sanctuary in April 2021, church members said Meadowlawn Funeral Home on East Houston street has invited them in while they struggle to rebuild.
Saturday, church members compared their festive and long-awaited ground breaking ceremony to several different holidays.
Wayne Jackson was the first to arrive at the empty slab where the church used to stand, as the sun was creeping above the horizon.
While working to get ready for the party, Jackson compared the day to Thanksgiving, saying even though the congregation has been tested - first by COVID and then by fire - they are full of gratitude that they are finally able to see proof that better days are coming.
"It's Thanksgiving in that the Lord gave us this church, and he burned the other one down and he is giving us this also," Jackson said, adding "You would be amazed at how many people reached out when they heard about the fire and said 'that's our home church,' so the concept of home really is big here."
Yvonne Greenwood called the day blessed and beautiful. Greenwood said after the terrible fire consumed their building, the people of the church are anxious to rise again.
"It's just like Easter Sunday and the resurrection!" Greenwood said.
Augusta Guyton chimed in "I'm just full of gratitude to God for allowing this to happen. The church is in our heart but now it will reach for the sky because God is our overseer."
Pastor Johnnie Guyton said having never experienced such a devastating loss, he is elated to begin construction on a new building.
"It's been over two years since the fire and we've been anxious for the signal to get started," Guyton said, adding "We had to encourage our people it would be better. It didn't seem like it at times because things were going so slow, so we needed constant encouragement, but this is God's work. This is God's plan and he's going to work things out sooner or later."
General contractor Earl Greenwood will be leading the team that is already working to prepare the old slab foundation to support new construction.
Trenches have been drilled, new utility lines have been laid and the project is ready to move forward quickly.
Pastor Guyton said he is cautiously optimistic that the project might be finished in six months.
More information about the congregation can be found on the group's Facebook page and here: https://hpbcsa.org/
Watch the original story about the fire here.