‘We rise from the ashes’: Cobb County church holds first service after fire

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On the first Sunday since a fire badly damaged a church in Cobb County, the congregation gathered to worship, sending a message that through faith, there is hope.

On Sept. 29, fire crews raced to the Prayer City Eagles Chapel in Austell. Flames ripped through the roof, Bibles were aflame and the sanctuary was destroyed.

“It’s very painful. I mean, extremely painful. In an unimaginable and unthinkable way,” Pastor Raphael Grant said.

Aries Jordan, who once came to pray, is accused of intentionally setting the church on fire.

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The loss cuts deep, but church is not just a building.

“The fact that the church burned down does not mean the church is no longer there. We have to understand that when we talk about the church, we are not talking about the building. We are talking about people,” Pastor Grant said.

They decided to pray under the open sky; in the parking lot of the chapel they lost just days ago.

“We all get encouraged when we hear from our pastor; when we hear that he’s doing well,” Minister Derrick Godwins said. “He’s keeping the faith up and the hope up.”

The sermon focusing on strength and forgiveness.

“I forgive her. I don’t have any animosity or any unkindness toward her,” Pastor Grant said about Jordan.

A living testament that faith endures all.

“We are eagles. We soar, even in the eyes of the storm. Like a phoenix, we rise from the ashes,” church administrator Paul Tamo said.

The church has posted an online fundraiser to help rebuild. It hopes to raise $4 million.

Jordan has been behind bars since Wednesday. During her first court appearance, the judge stated he could not set a bond due to the seriousness of the charges.

The 26-year-old will have to go before a superior court judge. A hearing date has not been set at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First as we learn more.