YORK COUNTY, S.C. — In York, authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a small church.
The 100-year-old building on West Old Limestone Road and Old Highway 321 was destroyed Monday afternoon. It took six different fire departments to put out the fire.
The building houses the Time for Truth Holiness Church, where Pastor Shirley Brown has preached for eight years. Brown, who has been a pastor since the 1980s, said she learned the news while on the way to the mountains.
"When I first came up to the scene, I said, 'Oh, Lord, you know how hard I work in there, and now it's on fire going to the ground'. I have nothing to go back to now," said Brown.
But Brown said the tears and heartache lasted just a few hours. Now she is determined to rebuild, despite not having insurance.
Brown said she is looking at either preaching in a small room that was left undamaged, if the inspector allows it, or bringing a camper to the church site. On Tuesday, someone donated $500 to the church. It gives her hope.
“My mind is made up and I’m going to serve God and walk with him until the day I die," she said.
The York County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are investigating the cause. Pastor Brown believes it was faulty wiring in the old building.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.