Fire-damaged Wasilla church set to reopen

Senior pastor Larry Kroon said Monday that crews are still working on repairs to about a quarter of the building, including offices, classrooms and the main entry/foyer area. But the church's sanctuary, which suffered smoke damage in the Dec. 12 blaze, is ready to be used again.

The blaze, which is under investigation as a suspected arson, received widespread attention because the church, just off the Parks Highway near downtown Wasilla, is one of the biggest in the Valley with Sunday services attracting up to a 1,000 people. It is also among the churches attended by Gov. Sarah Palin.

Palin's ties to the church sparked widespread speculation about whether the person who lit the fire was motivated by that connection. However, investigators reaffirmed Monday that idea remains in the realm of pure speculation.

Wasilla Police Department investigator Ruth Josten said state crime lab tests have determined that whoever lit the fire poured gasoline in several places around the building, including by the sides of the front and back doors. But she said all options remain on the table in terms of a motive for the fire.

Five church members were in the building when the blaze started, but were alerted to the fire by smoke alarms and were able to get out unharmed. The blaze caused an estimated $1 million in damage to the 35,314-square-foot building.

Still, Kroon said the damage was less than it might have been. Only one of the building's steel support beams needed to be replaced, and crews have been able to scrub out most of the acrid burnt popcorn smell left by the blaze, he said. Since the fire, church members had been holding services at Wasilla Middle School.

As trying as the incident has been, Kroon said church members have been heartened by the outpouring of support from individuals and other churches around the country. The church has received innumerable cards, e-mails and about $100,000 in donations, he said. Among the churches that donated was one from the Lower 48 that itself received an outpouring of support after Hurricane Katrina, he said.

"It's a tiny, little church. They heard about us, and sent a little offering," he said. "That kind of stuff is really amazing."

Kroon said the church has insurance and expects that to cover the bills from the fire. The donated money will be used to pay other building expenses, including installing a new security system, he said.

Church leaders have also been galvanized by the support to do their own outreach. This week, members have been praying for a small Baptist church in the Gaza Strip, which serves members of that area's Christian minority and which Kroon said has been caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas militants. The church has had its windows blown out and one of its leaders was assassinated, Kroon said. Church members plan to take up an offering for the church at Sunday's service, he said.

"Our goal is to experience God's grace and extend it. As we come back into our church, we want to be very deliberate in extending it," he said.

Find S.J. Komarnitsky at www.adn.com/contact/skomarnitsky or 1-907-352-6714.