West Philadelphia Church Classified As 'Imminently Dangerous' After Being Destroyed By Fire
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Licenses and Inspections has classified a West Philadelphia church as "imminently dangerous" after it was destroyed by a fire on Tuesday. The primary safety concern is the roof at Greater Bible Way Temple.
L&I is concerned heavy tiles and other debris are loose and may be dislodged, especially if there are storms or strong winds.
Bishop Benjamin Peterson says the house of God withstood the blaze, but L&I says the church needs a lot of work as it's been classified as "imminently dangerous."
L&I says there are no violations on the church itself, but there are open violations on the attached rectory which are unrelated to the fire. The violations concerned putting housing units into the property. The church had zoning approval for the housing, but it did not complete the safety approval process.
The church also did not having zoning approval to operate a day care in the rectory building.
A massive fire broke out at the church on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after workers were using a torch on the roof.
"I've heard from L&I and they're giving us their full support. They said the front wall is good. They said the side wall is good," Peterson said.
According to L&I, a fence is being set up around the church to establish a safety zone.
The bishop's motto is things just got better and his congregation agrees.
"Like pastor said, we gone hold hands, watch the traffic and stay together, and things just got better," said Janean Peterson, the pastor's daughter.
Church members walked inside of the church on Wednesday and prayed with hands lifted high. They say they're leaning on God to get them through the coming days.
"I prophecy that this building will rise again. The power of God will raise it up again and it'll be better than ever," Greater Bible Way Temple Brooklyn Bishop Huie Rogers said.
The church has a few days to consult an engineer and come up with a plan to make the property safe. If this is not done, the city will have to step in and that could mean a partial demolition of the church.
