AUSTIN, Texas — Goodwill Baptist Church in South Austin experienced a fire late Monday night.
At 11:30 p.m. on March 6, a fire on Newton Street was reported to the Austin Fire Department (AFD). Once crews arrived on scene, they learned the structure on fire was Goodwill Baptist Church.
The church has been in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, located in South Austin near South Congress, since the 1950s.
The fire began in the additional building connected to the church, where it then spread to the attic. Smoke from the fire spread into both the attic and the chapel.
AFD crews were able to put out the fire, but the additional building experienced "serious damage." The attic experienced smoke damage, but the chapel did not.
Investigators determined the total damages were $150,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents inside the church. The cause has been determined to be "incendiary," but investigators have not said what was used or if the fire is considered suspicious.
Rebuilding and restoring what's left of the church is what's top of mind for Senior Pastor Kelvin Austin, who calls the site a place of "legacy and heritage."
"It means so much to some of the members. Some of the members grew up in this church," Austin said.
In December, the church on Newton Street will celebrate 120 years of service in South Austin.
"I do not want to deter those members from continuing to worship here and to remember those good times they've had with family," Austin said.
Still, Austin is grateful to see the church isn't destroyed.
"I do know we serve a God that is able to do all things. That's why we call him Jehovah-jireh," Austin said.
He's keeping faith that people will return to worship there again.
Austin will meet with insurance carriers to see all that's required to restore everything.
No one was injured during the fire.
On Friday, a sign was placed outside the church. The sign is offering a reward for information that can help law enforcement make an arrest. The reward is up to $1,000.