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Fire Response Updates

On December 9, 2024, tragedy struck when fire destroyed our historic church building. The fire took our building but not our spirit. It is our desire to be transparent and informative regarding the progress of our rebuilding project. It is extremely important for all those involved to be good stewards of the many generous tithes and contributions we have received, as well as the forthcoming insurance settlement. The wheels move slowly at first... but they are moving. Please stay tuned and read below for updates as we move forward.

February 13, 2025 Update

  • We have retained Janson Adjusters to represent us with our insurance company.  Their goal is to maximize the insurance settlement in every category. 

  • We have retained Cotton Inc. to remove the water, soot, and debris in some areas that needed attention in order to facilitate the insurance claim.  This required removal of ceiling and drywall material to remediate the water, mold, smoke, and soot damage, etc.  

  • We have formed a Building Committee to focus on the details required to coordinate demolition, design, and construction.  No specific design direction has been determined at this point.  We need and appreciate the input and suggestions from our precious and valuable congregation.

  • We have had discussions with two architects who specialize in church builds and restorations.  We are impressed with them and have a meeting planned soon to discuss the project further.

  • As it relates to our building, there are parts that are damaged but are usable, but the majority of the building will need to be leveled.  There has been no definitive direction taken at this point to determine specifically what areas of the building will remain, and if so, what function they will have.

  • We need your prayers, input, and cooperation as we make this difficult journey together.  And again, we will do our best to keep you informed on a regular basis.  It is important to us as a congregation and to Marshall as a community to get this right not just for today….but for future generations.

February 24, 2025 Update

  •  The Building Committee has met with our independent insurance adjuster from Jansen on Wednesday, February 19th. He gave the committee a thorough update on the process, issues, and progress.  We are pleased and encouraged with their performance and progress.
     

  • Cotton, the initial contractor, has completed the clean up and work on the CLC / gym, and entryway as well as the Day Care area.  It has been certified and released by the environmental survey company, ERI.
     

  • The Building Committee is meeting again on February 24th with the architects to discuss moving forward with concepts and design.  A survey has been sent to the congregation in various formats to assist and drive the committee’s direction.
     

  • We have submitted requests for bids to remove asbestos in the Chapel Building as well as requests for bids on the demolition and clean up of the damaged areas.  There is a walk through for bidders scheduled for Wednesday, February 26th.
     

  • Whitworth Stained Glass was on site February 20-21 to remove the only two remaining and surviving stained glass windows.  One was the feature piece in the Chapel and the other was located by the elevator by the Pairs and Spares classroom.  The crew has taken both windows to their shop for restoration.  Both windows are in dire need of restoration due to age, significant lead deterioration and oxidation along with water, soot and heat exposure.  They are the recognized experts in this field.  This process is not inexpensive, but we feel that the sentimental value along with keeping a piece of our history is important.
     

  • Those wheels we referred to earlier as moving slowly are starting to speed up.  Progress is encouraging.  Tune in later for more details !!

February 28, 2025 Update

  • The Building Committee has met again with the architects. The committee has agreed to move forward with Dwight Patterson and Mike Butler from Tyler to handle design and engineering for FMC. The architects are preparing a contract for the Building Committee to review. In addition, we have requested for them to initially prepare a site survey for space needs and cost analysis. This survey will be delivered later next week. This is a major step forward for FMC and we are excited to be working with these guys.

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  • ERI Consulting has provided oversight on the required asbestos removal on the Chapel building. Five contractors were on site Wednesday, February 26th to walk the site. The bids from the five contractors are due by March 6 with work to begin on March 31.

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  • We have started reaching out to General Contractors for discussion. So far
    we have three GC’s that have expressed interest.

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  • We are also starting to work with contractors to bid on the demo for the damaged portion of the church. Multiple bids are expected soon.

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  • We have agreed to change our fencing company to reduce our costs.

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  • Our Public Adjuster, Jansen and Daman Garrison continue to process the insurance claim for fire damage and contents. It is a very time consuming and tedious task. We are glad to have them as a partner in this journey.

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  • The Building Committee has expressed a desire to attempt to keep as much of our spending in the community and East Texas. Multiple bids for every piece of this puzzle will be reviewed by the Building Committee.

March 8, 2025 Update

  • The replacement fencing from CRC Fencing was delivered to replace the previous rental fence from Sunbelt. This will save FMC a significant amount during the lengthy construction process.

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  • The Building Committee is committed to the open bid process and paying
    close attention to all costs associated with the rebuilding process. They are
    also using due diligence to keep as much of the money in East Texas as
    possible. In addition, the Building Committee will be focusing on the overall budget.

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  • There were five contractors involved with the asbestos abatement bids. Bids for the asbestos abatement are in and Air Quality Associates from Tyler has been awarded the contract. ERI Consulting from Tyler will handle the air quality sampling to be sent to the state. This contract also comes at a significant cost reduction over the original bid from the original contractor, Cotton. The asbestos abatement is set to start March 31st and is a four week process.

 

  • The Building Committee along with the Trustees have agreed to retain ERI 
    Consulting to also handle the open bidding process for the demolition bids.
    ERI Consulting and their President, Larry Snodgrass, have proven to be a
    good partner for FMC. Through their assistance, we are receiving comparable, competitive bids with all of the regulations, notifications and appropriate oversight handled professionally and legally. We appreciate their support and assistance. The demolition of the damaged areas will most likely begin in May. Details of the bidding process will be provided as they occur.

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  • Our architects, Dwight Patterson and Mike Butler, have provided us with a space requirements estimate based on our current congregation along with the specific Church office, Sanctuary, Sunday School, Day School, Youth Ministry and Children’s Ministry projected needs. This is our starting point to guide us toward the design process. The architects, along with ERI Consulting, will also be involved in the specific structural issues for the demolition project.

 

  • Our public adjuster - Jansen Adjusters (Daman Garrison), will be on site Monday,  March 10th with the insurance adjusters from Arch. Overall…..a pretty busy and productive week for FMC.

March 20, 2025 Update

  • The Building Committee met on March 18th . The Committee discussed many topics regarding our Fire Response and reconstruction. The decision was made to retain the CLC/Day School building that had only minor damage and repurpose in a format to be determined soon. We are moving on!
     

  • Our architect, Dwight Patterson, is scheduled to meet with the Building Committee on March 26th . This meeting will be our kickstart on redefining space needs, design, and footprint for the reconstruction. Everyone is ready for this opportunity.
     

  • On March 19th , based on the Building Committee’s economic decision to keep the CLC/Day School building, the meeting led to another meeting the next day:

    • ​Our architect, ERI Consulting, structural engineer, electrician and surveyor all met to discuss final plans for demolition. At this point, ERI is preparing the last details for open bidding for demolition. And again, we expect five construction companies to participate in a very specific scope of work for the next phase. Demo, at this time, is scheduled to begin on May 19th.

    • The structural engineer is preparing an additional plan for securing the shared wall before demo.

    • Surveys, plans for capping all utilities, road closures, and water needs have all been addressed as we begin to work with the city to make this next phase work smoothly and legally.

    • As previously stated, the asbestos abatement contract has been awarded.

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  • The notification to the state and city officials has been made. Process starts on March 31st .

 

  • ​We continue to reach out to General Contractors in the area for those capable and available to handle this project. At this point, five contractors have been contacted and are interested. The Building Committee will start reviewing their options for this pivotal decision over the next few weeks. It will be important for the Committee, the architect and the GC to work as a team to produce the best results for our congregation.

 

  • David has announced that there will be a meeting for the congregation soon to go over details of the progress and to answer questions.

 

  • There will be a joint Finance Committee and Trustee meeting on March 20th .

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