The pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church on Alex Harvin Highway in Manning is praising God today after a small fire broke out about 3 a.m. in one of the church's Sunday school rooms.
"We are thankful for God and his providence, and that the fire wasn't much worse than it was," said Pastor Marcus Van Vlake.
Ultimately, the fire destroyed the inside of one classroom, and an adjacent room and bathroom were damaged heavily by smoke and water. Van Vlake said Clarendon Fire Chief Frances Richbourg said the fire was quite close to getting into the building's roof.
"That would've been catastrophic, she said," Van Vlake said. "We believe the cause is an old air-conditioning unit that we no longer use. It may have a short in it. They're still looking into the cause."
Van Vlake said no other part of the church was affected and that both a wedding and concert planned for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, will be held as planned.
