Church Fire Anniversary
This video is no longer available.
HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — This month marks a sad anniversary for three West Tennessee Churches. In one night, investigators say arsonists set fire to all of them. Located in Henderson and Chester Counties, Federal officers deemed each a hate crime that for now is unsolved. Looking at New Beech Grove Baptist Church now, it is hard to imagine the heartache and struggles of their past. Church members said the new building is now just a few weeks away from being completely restored. “You can get knocked down but if you lay there you won’t never get back up so you got to make an effort to get back up and that’s what we did here,” Deacon Jim Blankenship of New Beech Baptist Church in Huron said. New Beech Baptist was one of three churches targeted by arsonists and was destroyed March 14, 2010. Blankenship said he will never forget the morning when someone intentionally set fire to it, burning it to the ground. After years of hard work, sweat and tears, members said their congregation is stronger than ever. “It was four years ago March 14th,” Blankenship said. “It’s just a great feeling to know we have a God that looks down upon us and cares for us. He always sends us good people.” No arrests have been made in any of the church arson cases, Deputies said ATF agents are now handling the investigation. “Because of the lack of resources we have as a local agency the federal agency has more resources and more personnel. They’re able to take a case like this and work it long term. I have confidence in the ATF. We’ve worked with them in several cases,” Sheriff Brian Duke of Henderson County said. “Some cases are solved quickly and some are not. The guts of a case are it’s not what you know. It’s what you can prove. The proof is not there to make an arrest.” For members of New Beech Grove Baptist Church, there is faith in justice. “We just put things behind us and go on. It will come out one day maybe a long long time but it will finally come out somewhere nobody gets away with sin,” said Blankenship. Along with Beech Grove Baptist, the ATF is investigating fire and vandalism at the House of Worship Baptist Church, Chapel Hill Baptist Church, Mifflin Baptist Church, Juno Church of Christ and Luray Missionary Baptist Church. Investigators said each was either burglarized or set on fire during the same time period. If you have information on any of these crimes call the Henderson County Sheriff’s Dept. at (731) 968-7777 or the ATF Hotline at 888-A-T-F-FIRE. There is a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
