What to know about First Baptist Dallas church, the site of a major fire on Friday

First Baptist Dallas church in downtown Dallas was the site of a major fire on Friday. First responders were called to the church’s secondary chapel on San Jacinto Street and were confronted with “heavy smoke and fire conditions involving the structure,” said fire Capt. Robert Borse.

Here’s what to know about First Baptist Dallas and its long history.

What were First Baptist Dallas church’s origins?

The church was established in 1868 as a small congregation of three men and eight women, and has expanded to serve Southern Baptist Dallas residents for over 150 years since then, according to a story in The Dallas Morning News on the church’s 150th anniversary.

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In the church’s early years, congregation members convened in the Masonic Hall on Lamar Street.

The church’s 11 founding members pooled their funds in 1872 to buy the first building, which was located on Akard Street in downtown.

A historical marker indicates the first building “was one-room frame structure, which members financed by weaving rugs, making hominy, preserves, and cheese to sell at fairs near Dallas, then a frontier town of 2,500,” according to the Texas Historical Commission. “Section of Victorian-style, red brick building was erected 1890; is only downtown Dallas Church still on original site.”

First Baptist is a nonprofit organization with about 16,000 members. The church provides its members with opportunities beyond traditional Sunday ministry, including international mission trips, music-based worship, volunteer opportunities and more.

When and how did First Baptist Dallas church expand?

In 2013, the church renovated and expanded its campus to add a 3,000 seat worship center, building out close to the historic building.

Costing $130 million, the church’s expansion became the most expensive Protestant building project in modern history. The center is greater than 178,000 square feet.

At the church’s 150th anniversary ceremony in July 2018, Gov. Greg Abbott called the church “an example to all Texans of God’s faithfulness.”

The church’s facilities cost over $135 million today, and prior to the fire, Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress had begun fundraising for an expansion that he hoped would add two more levels to the church’s three-floor family center.

Who is Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress?

Jeffress has been the church’s senior pastor for almost 17 years. Previously, he served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls.

Jeffress has become a well-known national figure. He’s a regular contributor to Fox News who has drawn criticism for some of his politically charged remarks, focused on three aspects of sustaining First Baptist’s success: commitment to the church, spreading the Gospel and grounding itself in the Bible.

He became one of former President Donald Trump’s most prominent Christian advisers and was a frequent visitor to the White House during his presidency.