AMELIA COUNTY (WRIC) — Lifelong members of the ‘Promise Land Baptist Church’ are speaking out after tragedy struck the nearly 100-year-old church during the early morning hours of Tuesday, Dec. 5
Deputies from the Amelia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about the church fire at 11141 Winterham Road at 1:54 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Firefighters fought to contain the fire for several hours until it was declared under control around 7:40 a.m.
The fire rekindled around 5:50 p.m., and crews were called back to the scene to put it out.
Horace and Rodger Booker are both brothers and lifelong members of the church. They were taken aback when they learned what had happened. The Booker brothers told 8News looking at the bright side of the matter is the only option.
“I look at this as a new opportunity — a new opportunity for all of us to get together to do what we need to do, not just rebuild the church, but help rebuild what it symbolizes, what it stood for and what the future is going to look like,” said Horace Booker.
Piles of bricks, the smell of smoke and memories are all that remain of the church which is a sad reality to the sweet memories Rodger Booker recalls.
“My mom would send us to church on Sundays with five cents and a stick of juicy fruit chewing gum — something sweet to keep us occupied so we wouldn’t mess up,” said Rodger Booker.
‘Promise Land Baptist Church’ was a cornerstone for Amelia County. On Wednesday, more congregation members stopped by to see the damage and learned churches in the surrounding area have reached out offering their space for worship during this difficult time.
“We’re trying to get our legs under us, but once we do, we want to get out and let the community know that we’re really grateful for all their assistance,” said Horace Booker. “The love that’s [been] shown so far from all the communities, not just right here locally in Amelia, but outside — Chesterfield, Powhatan, Nottaway, [and] Prince Edward.”
It is still unclear where the congregation will meet for Sunday service — just days after the blaze– but the Booker brothers said it’s not the building that makes the church, but the people.
“The church we look at as the members and the people [and] we’re going to rebuild the facility but the church is going to remain,” Brooker said. “We’re going to continue to do what we do as church and we’re going to continue worshiping and helping each other and the future of the spirits,” said Horace Booker.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, according to the Amelia County Sheriff’s Office.
