KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, firefighters were called to a church fire early Wednesday morning at The Mount Christian Worship Center at 35th Street and Wabash Avenue.
Crews were alerted to the two-story building just after 5:30 a.m. by workers inside and a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer driving by.
The church, built in 1908, gives out meals five days a week through the Neighbor2Neighbor organization, feeding around 300 people per day. The fire will impact the program's ability to feed the public.
"My heart is broken," Pastor Willie Thornton said. "We feed about 2,700 to 3,000 [free] plates a month. Hot breakfast and hot lunch, five days a week...We address homeless, we address drug addiction, we address individuals who are lost in the community."
Thornton, who has been pastor with the church for 12 years, said he is more worried about the fire's impact on people than on the church building itself.
"We’ve put a lot of sweat and tears into this church. Our ministry is about helping the community," Thornton said. "Right now, It’s going to be put on pause for a while, and that’s the problem that I have. For me, it’s not the even about the building, it’s about the people.”
Four men also live at a transitional house on the church property. The home was not damaged.
Smoke and fire were reported on two floors of the Mount Christian Worship Center.
Fire officials say the fire spread to void spaces on the second floor, making a few spots stubborn to extinguish.
No injuries were reported.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
