EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — On Monday, June 26, a fire heavily damaged St. James Episcopal Church in Eureka Springs.
“It was very early in the morning, about 2:30 a.m.— apparently, someone leaving the crescent hotel saw smoke coming out of the roof,” said David Angus, a vicar for St. James’.
An electrical fire engulfed the sanctuary and left very little to be saved.
“It certainly took a while, and it was horrible to watch,” said Angus.
Even though the church is small, with about 40 members, they have almost 200 people who join them online via livestream.
“Everyone is just pulling together, people who have stopped on the side just to say, 'I'm praying for you, here's $20.' We've had lots of communication by phone and by Facebook, and some letters in the mail," said Angus.
With the overwhelming support from the community, St. James’ created a GoFundMe, and in 24 hours they’ve already raised over $2,000.
“It's been shared so many times, we are really overwhelmed by the generosity,” said Rick Delaney, Senior Warden of St. James and creator of the page.
The church has been a historical landmark in Eureka Springs since 1883 when it was the original one-room schoolhouse in the town.
“Everybody in Eureka Springs has a St. James story to tell,” said Delaney. “When you think about all the other people that have visited Eureka Springs over the years— even they've got a connection here with St. James’”
The page has seen donations from all over the country.
“This is not just locally; this is all over the United States that we're getting responses,” said Delaney.
The congregation will be held out of the building for at least a year, but that won’t stop the church from staying strong.
"We know that life can flow even out of dead spaces. This is a dead space, but I can assure you it's going to live again, and it will be beautiful” said Angus.
You can donate to St. James' GoFundMe here.
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