Fire destroys 150-year-old Cleveland church

CLEVELAND (WJW) — A Cleveland congregation is asking for prayers and donations after a fire destroyed their more than 150-year old church. The church was a historic pillar in the mid-town community.

For most of the day, investigators were sifting through what remains of the church, but Cleveland fire Lt. Mike Norman told us that arson has been ruled out.

The recently renovated Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal served not only its Hispanic congregation, but also neighbors in the Asiantown community on East 36th Street near Superior Avenue.

On Friday morning, investigators from the Cleveland Fire Department and ATF sifted through the burned-out shell that remains of the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal.

They are looking for evidence to figure out what caused a massive two-alarm fire on Thursday evening that destroyed the building and took nearly 50 firefighters to put out.

“I went up. … It was smoke inside. I was using the extinguisher,” said pastor Ariel Santiago.

Santiago, who has led the congregation for seven years, said he was inside at the time, but made it out safely. He said all he could do was helplessly watch the church burn.

“I didn’t cry or anything until I went to my daughter’s house and they put the program again, then I was crying a lot,” said the pastor.

The cornerstone on the building is dated 1868. Pastor Santiago said his denomination has called it home since the 1980s.

He said the roughly 50-member congregation put a lot of work in renovating the church in recent months — installing new carpet, new pews, a new pulpit, a new piano and other equipment.

“Like when you have a new house and your new house burning completely, you feel like your knees are going to be on the ground,” said Santiago.

The church has been a pillar in this community, often providing food and other services for its neighbors.

“It’s hard to see historic buildings come down. But I would hope, hopefully, they can still salvage, you know, maybe the cornerstone and possibly some other things that can kind of carry on the tradition of the church,” said Grayson Glass, who works a few blocks away.

The verse below the church’s name translates to Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“Without our Lord, nothing that we can do,” added Santiago.

Fire investigators said the church sustained about $100,000 in damage.

Santiago said he was told that the steeple will probably have to be torn down.

The building is insured and Santiago said he wants to rebuild, but he’s not sure exactly where.