The Rev. Michael Griffin walked between pews littered with ashes and charred debris as he surveyed the damage from an early-morning fire last week that nearly destroyed his century-old church, one of the oldest in Sanford’s historic Black neighborhood of Georgetown.
“We’re very optimistic that we can rebuild,” the pastor of Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church said on Friday.
“We’ve had people from all over offering to help,” Griffin said, looking toward the stained glass windows. “People from as far as New York, who used to come to our church.”
Overlooking the corner of East Eighth Street and Orange Avenue, the church was first built in 1920 and then rebuilt in 1928. Baptist preacher John Hurston, father of famed American writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, preached at Zion Hope in the early 20th century, according to the Sanford Historical Society.
But rebuilding again will be a challenge, Griffin acknowledged. The church’s insurance company dropped its coverage about two years ago, he said. And because of the wooden structure’s age, the church was uninsured.
The blaze broke out just after 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, igniting inside a small office. The flames rapidly rose up the walls and into the ceiling.
A resident walking their dog called 911 after seeing black smoke billowing out of the roof.
No one was inside and no one was hurt in the fire, according to the Sanford Fire Department. Firefighters made a hole with an axe just above the entrance to let the thick black smoke flow out and to avoid breaking the eight stained glass windows along the sides of the structure.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to a city spokesman.
Church pews at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church are littered with ashes and other charred debris from a fire on March 18, 2026. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
The nearly 100 parishioners of Zion Hope now plan to attend weekend services and Sunday school at the smaller, adjacent education building.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been set up with the goal of raising $100,000 toward rebuilding the church. As of Friday, the fund had collected $4,811 in donations.
But Zion Hope is more than just the white building with a red tile roof, said David Griffin, the pastor’s son.
“It’s a community,” he said.
Zion Hope regularly put on yard sales and barbecues after Sunday services, with the Griffins grilling hamburgers and hot dogs.
“It’s going to be tough to rebuild,” David Griffin said standing outside. “But we have faith.”
Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford’s historic Black neighborhood Georgetown was badly damaged during an early-morning fire on March 18, 2026. The structure has overlooked the corner of Eighth Street and Orange Avenue since 1920. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Inside, water from the ceiling continued to drip onto the pews. A stack of Bibles was covered in soot. The walls were charred black from the fire’s smoke.
“It’s just devastating what we lost,” said Patricia Phelps, 76, who has faithfully attended services at Zion Hope for two decades. She also takes part in Sunday school and serves as an usher.
“The church is very important to me,” she said.
She recalled the COVID pandemic in 2020 when services were temporarily halted. It was a difficult time for her and others.
“I go back to the time when the pandemic hit, and we had a setback then,” Phelps said. “But God got us through that. And I know God will bring us back from this.”
She paused and then added: “I look at the church as a family. We are looking forward to bringing the family back together.”