FaithLutheran300FBValley City, ND (KCSi-T.V. News) — Members of Faith Lutheran Church in Valley City gathered Wednesday evening (Oct. 23, 2013) to pray outside the church building, heavily destroyed by fire early Monday morning.

When Faith Lutheran’s church members gathered Wednesday, they were grieving but also forgiving.

Reverend Jolene Knudson-Hanse told the congregation, “It doesn’t matter that it was arson instead of an accident that caused this fire … because God’s goal is peace.”

She added “Much work lies ahead for our congregation, but our fear and anger, we can leave at Jesus’ feet.”

After, about 300 members of Faith Lutheran’s 900-member congregation shared a meal in the basement of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church.

Faith Lutheran Council President Tory Hart answered questions and said, the church is waiting to hear from its insurance company on fire damages.

Church officials will then decide whether to repair or rebuild the church.

The church will relocate to the former U.S. Department of Agriculture building in Valley City, starting November 3 and will likely be there for at least a year.  .

He said a firefighter saved the church’s altar book, and church records were mostly saved having been in a plywood cabinet in the office that sustained the most fire damage.

Donation funds for Faith Lutheran Church have been set up at Dacotah Bank and Bank Forward in Valley City.

October 27, 2013:

Service at Trinity Lutheran Church-8:30 am

Regular worship services will be determined later this week.

Donation funds have been set up at both Dacotah Bank and Bank Forward.