1 year after destructive fire, First Baptist Dallas says it needs insurance money to rebuild

DALLAS — One year after First Baptist Dallas’ historic sanctuary was destroyed in a destructive fire, the church says it still needs insurance money to rebuild.

A year after a fire all but destroyed First Baptist Dallas‘ historic downtown sanctuary, Robert Jeffress, the church’s senior pastor, said the church is ready to rebuild. First Baptist Dallas held a service on Sunday, thanking first responders for their efforts to save the sanctuary. 

Over 100 firefighters responded to the four-alarm fire and were able to save the sanctuary’s walls. The cause behind the fire will remain undetermined, officials said.

“I want to thank the citizens of Dallas and people from all across our nation who have been praying for our church and supporting our church,” Jeffress said. “We have beautiful plans for the rebuild of our historic sanctuary that has been a part of Downtown Dallas for 130 years.”

However, in a press conference Sunday, Jeffress said the church has only received one-third of the money it needs to rebuild the sanctuary. 

“We had the plans,” Jeffress said. “We have the architect. We have the contractor. But what we need is for our insurance company, Travelers Insurance, to live up to their responsibilities, which they are not doing right now.”

WFAA reached out to Travelers Insurance for comment but did not immediately hear back. The church plans to host a groundbreaking ceremony in 2026, but that could be delayed if the church does not receive additional funds from the insurance company, Jeffress said. 

In January, the church announced it would spend $27 million to build a new structure, while preserving the sanctuary’s history, WFAA previously reported. The church plans to elevate the sanctuary to the second floor of their building, which will allow for a 500-person event space to be built in the sanctuary’s basement.

The new design will preserve the sanctuary’s history by maintaining the exterior design, officials said. 

“We’re not asking that Travelers Insurance grant us any favors,” Jeffress said. “We’re asking them to meet our… meet their contractual obligation to rebuild the historic sanctuary… If we followed the insurance company’s plans and desires, we would have to tear down these walls. These walls that have been miraculously saved by our fire department.”

Jeffress described the role of the sanctuary in Dallas life and culture. The Downtown Dallas church was almost 135 years old and was one of the first churches built in the city. 

The congregation laid the cornerstone for the historic Victorian-style, red brick building in the 1890s, WFAA previously reported. Jeffress said he has interacted with several people who said the sanctuary was a touchpoint of their religious life. 

“We are just so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the nation, but especially from the citizens of Dallas-Fort Worth,” Jeffress said.