North Memphis Church Destroyed by Fire

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - An overnight fire left a North Memphis church burned to the ground early Wednesday morning.

Fire broke out at St. Paul A.M.E. Church on McNeil just after 1:00am. While Memphis Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control quickly, the building was completely destroyed.

This is the same church where the flood waters filled the building to the roofline in May of this year. Pastor Edwin Brown grew up in this neighborhood and pastors a church up the street. He said this church was vacant after the flooding, but it was still standing. Now all that remains are charred wood, broken bricks and debris.

"Faith is built on misfortunes and so when things like this happen you just bond together, pull together," he said. "You never give up, never turn back, just keep pressing forward."

Pastor Brown plans to open the doors to his church for any member of St. Paul. He says a fire can shake your faith and destroy your church home in an instant, but the memories will always stand their ground.

"This is just a building, the church is within us."

There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.