Church leaders are searching for a new house of worship after fire destroyed St. Jude Church of God in Christ Wednesday afternoon.
The church, which was located at East 142nd Street and Kinsman Road in Cleveland, is a total loss. Bishop Jessie Brown said he was only able to save a keyboard and amp.
“We lost over at least $10,000 or $12,000 worth of equipment in the place, everything,” Brown said. “We lost everything and on top of that we didn’t have insurance.”
Cleveland Fire Department spokesman Larry Gray said it could be weeks before investigators determine what caused the fire, which also destroyed a Chinese restaurant and a thrift store.
“They have to sift through mounds and mounds of rubble to try to find that one source,” Gray said. “It could have been one source or it could have been a combination of things.”
Cleveland police were guarding the piles of debris Thursday after someone was caught rummaging through the rubble for copper and other metals.
Bishop Brown said he doesn’t know where yet, but he intends to have church on Sunday.
A St. Jude C. O. G. I. C. fund has been established at the Huntington Bank at Lee and Chagrin.
article courtesy of Newsnet5.com
