As smoke billowed from the burning remains of their 140-year-old West Baltimore church, dozens of parishioners huddled around their bishop, crying, singing - and vowing that lightning would not strike down their congregation as it had their place of worship.
"We have just been preaching on faith for the last six or seven months," said Bishop Oscar E. Brown of the First Mount Olive Free Will Baptist Church. "I can only say, that was preparation for this moment.
"It's his [God's] church, we're his people and we trust he's going to take care of us."
About two hours earlier, a bolt of lightning hit the church steeple, igniting a five-alarm fire that rendered the structure a total loss, fire officials said. As Brown spoke late yesterday afternoon, firefighters continued to deluge the smoldering Formstone-clad building with water from aerial ladders.
Brown said the church regularly attracted 3,000 worshippers to three overflow Sunday services.
The largely African-American congregation worshiped in the Baptist tradition, but with an infusion of Pentecostal enthusiasm and wall-shaking gospel music performances, according to Sun articles. The First Mount Olive choir has performed at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Today, church leaders and members will meet and plan for the 69-year-old congregation's future, church leaders said. A leadership meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in West Baltimore, followed by a 7 p.m. meeting for members.
Mayor Sheila Dixon also vowed yesterday to assist the church in either rebuilding or finding a new home. "This church has been a cornerstone in this community for so many years," she said, "and we're going to provide every support that the city has to ... make them whole."
According to History of Baltimore City and County by J. Thomas Scharf, the building was consecrated in 1867 as St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The congregation moved to 2001 Old Frederick Road in the 1950s, and sold the building to the predecessor of First Mount Olive.
In 1974, the church paid off the mortgage on the building at the corner of Saratoga Street and Fremont Avenue, according to its Web site. About 18 months ago, Brown said, the church steeple and tower were renovated.
Yesterday, that tall steeple collapsed into the slate roof, raining debris onto firefighters, officials said. Naked beams were visible where the fire had eaten away at the roof.
"That church is a pillar of this community," said John Knight, 38, who attended it as a child. "It's going to be hard to come up Saratoga Street and not see that church."
Fire Chief William J. Goodwin said firefighters took special care to save the church's stained-glass windows. "We were successful in that," he said. "So when the community rebuilds they can take pieces of themselves back."
The church structure probably cannot be saved. "Due to roof construction and how these older buildings are put together, it's almost impossible," he said.
But Davida Jones, who sings in the choir, said the church would rise again. "I know this is not going to stop us," Jones said. "But right now we're just still shocked. We're still trying to swallow it."
Sun reporter Jacques Kelly contributed to this article.
gadi.dechter@baltsun.com julie.turkewitz@baltsun.com