'Huge Blessing': 70-Year-Old Canadian Church Destroyed by Fire Raises $700K Toward Rebuilding Efforts
A fire may have destroyed St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey, British Columbia but the faith of its congregants is still strong.
Efforts to rebuild the church, which burned down on July 19, began immediately. Church spokesperson, Steven Faltas told The Christian Post that the congregation has raised $700,000, describing the amount as a "huge blessing."
"The building was very old but quite large and provided space for over 400 families who attended a variety of regular services offered nearly every night of the week," he said.
"We have insurance, but given the age and value of the building, the amount that will be covered will be much less than what it will cost us to rebuild. So, we are urging anyone and everyone who is able to make a contribution to our rebuilding efforts. We would greatly appreciate it."
Since the fire, congregants have been worshipping at nearby St. Joseph The Damascene Antiochian Orthodox Church in Delta, British Columbia.
"This nearly 70-year-old building was much more than just a building," the church's website reads. "Our Church brought together a diverse congregation of Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iraqi and Lebanese Orthodox believers."
"While we are thankful to all those who have reached out and offered their churches as a temporary location where our services can continue to be held, we hold strong in the belief that our Lord Jesus Christ will 'restore its ruins and will rebuild it as it used to be.' ( )."
According to Faltas, an attempted arson attack against the church took place on July 14 by an unknown party, confirming that "no place of worship is currently safe in Canada."
He continued, "Places of worship are currently under attack nationally and will continue to be until there is a political solution to the narrative. We urge the Canadian Government to invest the money and effort required to ensure places of worship and their congregants (are) safe and to assist in the rebuilding process."
Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police deemed the fire to be "suspicious."
CBN News previously reported on an apparent anti-Christian campaign happening in Canada that has resulted in at least 45 churches being attacked - some being burned to the ground.
The crimes stem from far-left terrorists with a Marxist ideology whose sole purpose is to strike fear in Canadians for practicing their faith.
The church fires were reported across Canada following the recent discoveries of unmarked graves on the sites of former boarding schools for Indigenous children, many of which were run by churches. The remains of nearly 1,000 bodies have been found so far, most of them Indigenous children.
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