HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out overnight at a church in Hollywood.
“We’ll come together and fix this and just praise God for his goodness,” Pastor Justin Severson said.
Severson told Local 10 News that he got a call from Hollywood police around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, saying his church, the Church of Jesus Christ, had caught fire.
The church is located on West Park Road just east of U.S. 441.
“I came as quick as I could,” he said.
The pastor said he’s grateful someone passing by the church noticed the fire and called 911 right away, so firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire to the entrance of the church.
“The entry door probably has the most significant damage, so thank God we got away with that,” Severson said.
But the pastor said the fire does not look like an accident.
“We’ve had a case before were somebody threw a (Molotov) cocktail at the window, so yes, it’s under investigation,” he said.
The church has been around since 1986 with an expanding congregation of about 100 people.
The pastor said he has a message for whomever may have done this.
“I pray for you, your heart, that you would know there’s a better way than to be in anger and frustration,” he said. “I feel sorry for them.”
Anyone with further information about the fire is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.