At First Baptist Dallas, construction workers have embarked on the painstaking work of demolishing and preserving high-value pieces of the church’s historic sanctuary, which was heavily damaged in a July fire.

The 134-year-old sanctuary, located in the heart of downtown Dallas, served as the church’s primary place of worship for over a century before an expansion was completed in 2013.

Church officials hope the rebuild of the sanctuary will be finished by Easter 2028, executive pastor Ben Lovvorn told The Dallas Morning News.

Lovvorn said the church doesn’t have a cost estimate for the rebuild due to the unique nature of the project. The church is currently running a fundraising campaign with a goal of $95 million for “our 2025-2026 ministry budget, the reconstruction of the Sanctuary, and the enhancement of our church campus,” according to its website.

For now, the charred sanctuary is a shell of its former self. Over the past few months, construction workers have hollowed out the building’s interior. Cranes and piles of debris now sit on concrete that used to be the sanctuary’s basement floor.

“While we treasure the memories and spiritual milestones that so many have experienced in our Historic Sanctuary, we are even more excited about what God is doing in our church today,” Robert Jeffress, senior pastor, told The News in a statement.

“This construction project is a reminder to us that First Baptist Dallas has always been and will continue to be a church built on the Bible,” he said. “With Scripture as our foundation and Jesus Christ as our cornerstone, we believe our greatest days of ministry are still ahead of us.”

Four-alarm fire

On the evening of July 19, a four-alarm fire destroyed much of the historic sanctuary. Firefighters say the fire started in the building’s basement.

A spokesperson for Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed Saturday that the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

First Baptist Dallas plans to preserve two of the building’s remaining walls with the hope of incorporating them into the new structure, Lovvorn said. The church, he said, is “working to preserve as much of the exterior of the building as possible” but must remove a third wall that was compromised in the fire.

Demolition began in November. Now workers are removing pieces of the north wall’s stone and decorations, sometimes by crane, before remaining bricks are pushed off into piles on the ground.

On Friday, a crane scraped pieces of brick off the top of that wall, moving the fragments to a pile at the wall’s base enveloped by clouds of dust.

“We’ve had crews out there who are removing a lot of that stonework very prudently and strategically, even by hand, to make sure that it is preserved,” Lovvorn said. “It’s different than going in with some wrecking ball and just knocking everything down.”

A dozen demolition workers are working at the site six days a week, while lanes on Ervay Street have been blocked off for the project.

Surviving stained glass

Much of the building’s stained glass was destroyed or damaged in the July fire, Lovvorn said. Surviving pieces have been removed and are being housed at a Waco facility. The church hopes to use the stained glass in the rebuild, he said.

The church is also preserving items that carry special religious significance, including an image of a Bible and an anchor carved into the stone on the north wall, and fleur-de-lis, decorative pieces that rest atop many parts of the building’s exterior.

“The fleur-de-lis represents the lily and reminds us of Christ’s resurrection,” Lovvorn said.

The image of the Bible and anchor was part of the sanctuary built in 1908, according to Lovvorn. The image reminds “our church that Scripture and God’s word is our anchor and foundation,” he said.

“The majesty of it”

The reconstructed sanctuary will be modeled after the 1908 design of the building, which has been through four remodelings, Jeffress told The News in October. “I think once people see the majesty of it, they will understand why we went that way,” he said.

The church selected the Beck Group, one of Dallas’ best-known design and construction companies, to lead the rebuild.

First Baptist Dallas worked with the Beck Group on two recent projects, including the $130 million expansion of several of their downtown buildings, finished in 2013.

“That building represents a lot of spiritual milestones in people’s lives,” Lovvorn said of the historic sanctuary. “So our design is intended to honor and remember the history of our church and what God has done in that place.

“But also to look toward the future.”

Adrian Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News through a partnership with Report for America.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — One of the last playoff spots in the league will be determined on Sunday afternoon as the Miami Dolphins look to win their way into the postseason when they visit the New York Jets.

• Watch the NFL on FuboTV (7-day free trial)

Miami Dolphins (8-8) vs. New York Jets (4-12)

• When: Sunday, January 5
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• Where: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
• Channel: FOX
• Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling

The Dolphins, despite all of the adversity they have faced this season, can still punch their ticket to the playoffs. With grit and willpower, they bounced back from losing six of their first eight games of the season to win six of their previous eight, including a 20-3 whipping of the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Along with beating the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, Miami looks like they could be a threat if they can sneak into the postseason.

However, the Dolphins will need some help if they want their season to continue. Along with having to beat the Jets, they need the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, who are resting some key players.

The Jets are eyeing a pretty comfortable spot in this year’s NFL Draft. Thanks to complete disarray with the trainwreck that is this franchise, the other team that plays in New Jersey has been just as bad as the other. The team heads into the final week of the season, having lost six of its last seven games, only beating the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.

The Jets did give the Dolphins a run for their money in Week 14, with Miami needing overtime to come out on top. The Dolphins have won 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Jets.

MY PICK: Dolphins win, 21-17

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Check out the NFL schedule

Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will start for the Atlanta Falcons when the team takes on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday at home. Penix Jr. is making just his third start of the season, taking over for an injured Kirk Cousins, and he’ll be facing a Panthers line-up that’s missing several key starters due to injury, including cornerback Jaycee Horn. While the Panthers are out of playoff contention altogether, if the Falcons win on Sunday – and if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose – they’ll clinch the NFC South title. Here’s all the info you need about today’s Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons game; you can also keep an eye on live game-day updates here.

How to watch the Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons game:

Date: January 5, 2024

Time: 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Game: Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

TV channel: CBS

Streaming: Paramount+, Fubo, DirecTV, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, and more

What channel is the Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons game on?

The Panthers vs. Falcons game is this Sunday, Jan. 5 airing live at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

How to watch the Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons game:

The Panthers vs. Falcons game is also available to stream on Paramount+ through their NFL on CBS channel, which is included in both their Essential plan and their Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan. You can also watch CBS on platforms including Fubo TV, DirecTV and YouTube TV. Out-of-market viewers will be able to find the game on YouTube TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL+.

Paramount+ offers subscribers access to NFL games on CBS. Plus, the platform is great for fans of Champions League soccer, Star Trek, Survivor, The Challenge and so much more.

Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a one-week free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch this weekend and check out the rest of the Paramount+ library totally free for seven days.

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Try free at Paramount+

(Fubo)

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans. But it offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch the NFL season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage. 

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Try free at Fubo

(YouTube)

NFL Sunday Ticket is available exclusively on YouTube TV and offers football fans the chance to watch every major game that’s airing out of their local markets. NFL Sunday ticket is available with a subscription to YouTube TV for $670.96 over four months (that’s $168/mo). You can also purchase a subscription without being a YouTube TV subscriber for $479 for the season.

Try free at YouTube

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2024 NFL season complete Week 18 schedule:

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 4

• Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens: 4:30 p.m. (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+)

• Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8:00 p.m. (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+)

Sunday, Jan. 5

• Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons: 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

• Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys: 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

• Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

• Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans: 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

• Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts: 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

• Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots: 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

• New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 1 p.m ET (CBS)

• New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1 p.m. (FOX)

• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions: 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Universo, Peacock)

How to watch every NFL game this season:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna). A $7/month subscription to NFL+ will get you access to NFL Network which can be great for watching some games, but the downside of NFL+ is that when it comes to the regular season, it’s just local and primetime games (and only on mobile or tablet!). In which case, here’s what we recommend to watch the NFL.

(Fubo)

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans. But it offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch the NFL season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage.

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The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some games risk-free. Right now you can get $20 off any Fubo tier for your first month.

$44.99/month at Fubo

More ways to watch NFL games this season: