Agents with the ATF wrapped up their on-scene investigation into two suspicious church fires in West Tennessee Monday.
The ATF hasn’t determined what caused the church fires at Cowboy Church in Lauderdale County and Trinity Methodist Church in Haywood County. There was also an attempted break-in at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Lauderdale County on the same day as the suspicious fires.
The agency hasn’t determined if the incidents are related or what the motive was.
Church members are holding onto their faith, and, after nearly a week, have been allowed get inside and start cleaning up.
Members of Trinity Methodist Church found little worth salvaging.
“I’m just looking around. We had plaques on the wall…they’re all gone…and pictures,” Terry Parks, Trinity Methodist Board Member, said.
Parks can’t find anything in the Fellowship Hall at Trinity Methodist Church that isn’t charred.
A suspicious fire last Wednesday destroyed the Haywood County church and left its small congregation without a place to worship.
“Devastated. They’ve really been devastated. It’s just done tore everybody up,” Parks said.
Since the fire, agents have gone through the scene brick by brick, examining the church’s heating system, sound system, and electrical wiring.
“We didn’t have any electrical problems. We didn’t have any problems whatssoever. So I don’t know if it’s arson or what it is,” Parks said.
Church members vow they’ll rebuild, put their faith in God, and let law enforcement do its job.
The ATF has also turned the Cowboy Church in Lauderdale County back over to Pastor G.K. Ballard.
Ballard was told the fire at his church last Wednesday morning was no accident. He just happened to go to the Cowboy Church, found the front door smashed, and the carpet still burning.
“It was an intentional fire. They did not steal one thing. They kicked the door open, set the fire, and left,” Ballard said.
Ballard said he’s waiting to see what his insurance will cover, but he knows he’ll need to replace the carpet, some of the pews, and the front door.
Until all the repairs are done, the Cowboy Church congregation is meeting the church’s multipurpose room.
Ballard said he doesn’t believe race had anything to do with the fires at Cowboy Church and Trinity Methodist or the attempted break in at Spring Hill Baptist Church nearby.
“I said, no, this was just random and we was not targeted for any special reason. They was just out doing mischief and burning churches,” Ballard said.
Evidence collected by the ATF was sent to the ATF crime lab in Atlanta. They say it may be a week before they get back results, but stress the fires and attempted break-in are still being actively investigated.