‘God is going to grow something out of this’: Fire rips through church building

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - A fire tore through a North Carolina church Sunday morning, collapsing the roof and forcing cancellation of services.The fire broke out shortly after 7 a.m. on Oct. 18 at Dover Baptist Church on Polkville Road in Shelby.“No services today. Pray for our church. Our building is currently on fire,” wrote church officials in a social post.Cleveland County Fire said crews responded to the massive fire as flames tore through the roof and the front sanctuary of the church. Photos taken by WBTV showed the aftermath of the fire, with a large portion of the roof collapsed into the one-story building as multiple fire trucks responded.Authorities said no one was injured and the church was reportedly unoccupied when the fire started. The pastor, Jerry Reed, said the loss is difficult, but he remains hopeful.“It seems like a setback. It’s heartbreaking to share this with our church members,” Reed said. “But we’ve had an outpouring of support from other churc