AG Church Destroyed by Fire

Fair Oaks Assembly of God in McCrory, Arkansas, burned to the ground early Saturday morning. The church was in the midst of a building program when the fire destroyed the existing and new structures.

Rodney Eldridge, senior pastor of Fair Oaks AG for the past 21 years, says that sometime late Friday night, early Saturday morning a fire broke out. “That’s all we know. The ATF is currently here investigating,” he says.

Located about 80 miles northeast of Little Rock, the church was adding a new 700-seat sanctuary. “The exterior of the new sanctuary was about 95 percent complete,” Eldridge says. “Both the main building and the new addition were destroyed . . . there’s nothing left.”

Although there have been offers to Fair Oaks AG to use other buildings in the community, Eldridge says that for now the church will use the shop located on the back of their property, where the congregation, which averages about 130, gathered on Sunday.

Both buildings that burned had insurance, but for now, until the ATF finishes its investigation and declares its findings, the church waits – many of its members still finding the destruction hard to believe. AG Disaster Relief for Churches has already reached out to provide an application for assistance.

“Prayer for this congregation,” Eldridge requests, “that we can continue the vision that God gave us.”