HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) — Investigators are trying to determine what caused the ceiling of a Henrico church’s sanctuary to collapse.
The pastor of Derbyshire Baptist Church near Richmond says he heard the crash from the collapse around 1:45 Wednesday afternoon.
Several pews in the sanctuary were damaged and covered in dry wall and insulation.
There was a giant hole in the ceiling and the church’s brand new pipe organ was filled with dust.
No one was in the sanctuary at the time of the collapse.
The pastor says the damage is still being assessed and there is no time table for when reconstruction will begin.
Pastor Jeff Raymond says, “This space would be filled with 50 folks or more who would be practicing for worship on Sunday so, just a few hours and it could have been a different situation.”
Raymond says other churches in the area have called to offer their support and space during the difficult time.
“It’s devastating because of what it does to our sanctuary, but it’s not devastating to who we are as a church,” says Raymond.