Minister says he will pray for, and forgive man who set fire to church

Aug. 28--The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air at Beyond Thee Four Walls Outreach Ministry in Kansas City, as Liz Williams, the church's administrative assistant, walked through charred debris in what once was the fellowship hall. Outside, church members worked in stifling heat to board up broken windows and secure the building.

Early Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials say an arsonist set fire to the church building that sits on the north side of the road in the 5900 block East US 40 Highway. The fire which began about 3 a.m. is being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City Police Department. Video cameras at the church captured a suspect starting the fire.

Minister Michael Higgins, the director of outreach, said he received a call from the alarm company and arrived a short time later to see fire crews battling the blaze at the building. Higgins said he was amazed that one person could cause so much damage to a place of worship. "This is a place where people come for help, for hope, for healing," Higgins said. "Why would somebody do an attack like this on a place of worship?"

"I hate what he did, but I don't hate him," Higgins said referring to the arsonist. "We have to pray for him and learn to forgive him." Church members were on hand Thursday helping to clean up and salvage what they could.

"When I came down here and I saw the mess, it was so heart wrenching," Williams said. She said the church lost bags and bags of clothing intended for distribution to community members in need. They also lost canned food and pantry items used to help feed the hungry. The church's fellowship hall, youth classroom, and office all suffered significant fire and water damage.

Police and the ATF are offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the man responsible for setting the fire.

"We are going to love him in spite of what he's done," Williams said. "We have no motive."

The church is in a situation where they will need to find a location to have church. "We might be out of the building for a month or two, maybe more," said Williams. "We're looking for a place to worship Sunday morning."

"It ridiculous that we have to gut the church and pretty much start again," said Williams, who added the church had about 50 members. "We're not a big church, but we're an up and coming church."

The church is working with an insurance company on their losses, but has also setup a GoFund Me Page, Rebuilding Beyond Thee Four Walls, to help with their losses.

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