'The cross still stands': Congregants of Altadena church destroyed by Eaton fire lean on faith after loss

More than 40 radical poured into a tiny grey and ceramic religion amid the pouring rainfall to travel unneurotic and worship God. The congregation enactment their hands unneurotic and sang hymns arsenic radical continued to watercourse successful from the broadside entrance.

The Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center on Lake Avenue successful Altadena, Calif., which has been location to immoderate radical for much than a decade, was destroyed by the Eaton occurrence successful aboriginal January. Now, its congregants conscionable astatine a big religion astir 2 miles away. 

Shield of Faith Christian Center successful Pasadena serves arsenic a big religion for the Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center aft it was destroyed by the Eaton fire. (Ashley Carnahan / Fox News Digital)

The theme of Sunday’s message was "Beauty for Ashes." Pastor Charles Dorsey led the religion successful supplication for the 3rd clip since his puerility religion burned down. 

Margaret and Simeon Alexander, an aged mates from Altadena, told Fox News Digital they had attended Lifeline for 15 years.

"We were devastated," Margaret said aft proceeding their longtime spot of worship had been reduced to rubble. "We miss our church. Lifeline is our spiritual family."

"We soon faced the reality that each things enactment unneurotic for good," her hubby Simeon chimed successful from a spot successful the front.

Congregants of the now-destroyed Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center stitchery during a rainy Sunday day to worship. (Ashley Carnahan / Fox News Digital)

Theo Hawkins, who led the religion successful worship, admitted that helium initially didn’t privation to travel owed to the "new norm."

Lifeline has been a portion of the Altadena community for 19 years and regularly serves escaped nutrient to radical each different Wednesday, doubly a month.

"It's a large community, precise diverse, hardworking people. Families person owned spot successful the area, passed it connected to their sons, sons to grandsons oregon granddaughter and daughter. And it's conscionable a beauteous spot to unrecorded and raise a family and a large spot to person a church," said Pastor Dorsey.

He estimated that 19 radical from Lifeline person been displaced owed to the occurrence and different 13 person mislaid their homes.

More than 9,000 structures were destroyed and much than 14,000 acres burned, according to Cal Fire, making the Eaton blaze 1 of the deadliest wildfires successful the Golden State’s history.

MAPS SHOW EXTENT OF WILDFIRE DEVASTATION, HOMES DESTROYED

Dr. Lisa Dorsey told Fox News Digital determination are phases presently successful spot to let residents to instrumentality to their homes. The archetypal signifier is the removal of hazardous discarded and the second is debris removal, though the timetable for the process is unclear.

The lone happening near of the Lifeline religion is simply a purple and achromatic transverse that stands atop a rectangular structure.

SLIDE THE WHITE BAR TO SEE THE DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE

"The transverse inactive stands," said Pastor Dorsey. "It did springiness maine hope, and I felt strength. And I was blessed that the transverse inactive stands due to the fact that it's the enactment of the transverse that we are capable to beryllium forgiven. It's the emotion of the cross, the enactment connected the cross, that we're capable to beryllium redeemed. And it signifies our beingness and however we're capable to adjacent person spot successful the midst of sorrow."

"Right now, the carnal building of Lifeline is down to ash. But the Lord promised to springiness quality for it. And truthful we were instructed to — let's emergence from it. Let's turn from it. And we're thankful for that," helium told Fox News Digital.

The Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center was burnt down by the Eaton occurrence successful Altadena. (Fox News Digital / Ashley Carnahan)

A somewhat burnt purple and achromatic transverse stands atop the Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center successful Altadena. (Fox News Digital / Ashley Carnahan)

Some members of the religion were capable to spot what remained of their location of worship past week aft service, portion others person yet to return. Lifeline is awaiting the adjacent steps to start the rebuilding process, but the religion has dreams of bringing chairs and tents into the parking batch of the aged determination and watching the caller gathering spell up portion singing, praying and preaching.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL TRAVELED TO AN EVACUATION ZONE TO SEE THE DAMAGE FROM THE EATON FIRE. HERE'S WHAT WE SAW

"We're looking for that day…where we tin look implicit and spot the process. The process of building, looking to the neighbors’ homes and communities and spot them building. People driving up the street, stopping due to the fact that they perceive the Word of God oregon they perceive music. Feeding people, loving people, listening to people, each the things that marque a affluent community," Pastor Dorsey said. "And Altadena is that, and truthful is Pasadena."

Pastor Charles Dorsey preaches from the Shield of Faith Christian Center aft the religion helium leads was burned down. (Ashley Carnahan / Fox News Digital)

Before the Eaton occurrence ravaged his community, the begetter of 4 felt called astatine the extremity of past twelvemonth to commencement 2025 with a connection of moving forward. He wasn’t rather definite astir the timing, but it became clearer after the blaze devastated location aft location and gathering aft building.

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"We mislaid homes and our church, but we person each other," Pastor Dorsey said from the lectern astatine the beforehand of the big religion arsenic helium continued his connection astir uncovering quality from destruction. 

"Amen," the congregation yelled back. "Amen."