A fire has destroyed the main building of the Villas Wesleyan Church. The blaze, which took hours for firefighters from South Trail Fire to control, has resulted in the collapse of a significant portion of the church’s roof.
Lead Pastor, Wesley Wickard, said he was in his office working on a project when he heard a loud buzzing sound. “I was like ‘Oh, this is a fire alarm’. So, I ran outside and that’s when I called 9-1-1,” Wickard said.
Wickard said he’s served at the church for six years now, so it’s completely surreal to see it in ruins. “Just a couple days ago I’m preaching from the pulpit that’s now broken and the ceilings caved in,” Wickard added.
The loss of the church building has reverberated through the community, with many expressing their sadness and sharing personal memories of the church on social media. “This is a very special place to a lot of people. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people on Facebook saying things like ‘That’s the place I got saved’ or ‘That’s the place I found Christ,'” Wickard noted.