South L.A. congregation vows to persevere after fire

Several members of Visions of Heaven Church of God in Christ showed up as usual Sunday morning, ready to share fellowship at a sanctuary that has been a staple in its South Los Angeles community for 40 years.

What they found shocked and saddened them: The modest building on South Long Beach Avenue was a burned-out shell; pulpits, pews, the church organ and other instruments were lost and charred debris that held decades of memories was piled in front.

The congregants knelt to pray anyway, thanking God that no one was hurt in the Saturday blaze and asking for perseverance in getting past the ordeal, said the church’s pastor, Ronald Keith Hayes.

Surveying the damage after the makeshift, open-air service, Hayes and others who make up the 75- to 100-member congregation said they would look for a new place to hold services.

“We would like to continue the good cause and stay in the same neighborhood,” Hayes said. “We feel called to this area because of the poverty level and education needs. But we need support and help.”

Gina Humbles, who has attended Visions of Heaven for years, said the congregation is determined to stick together.

“We are too strong not to overcome this,” Humbles said. “Even if we have to move temporarily to another church, all of us will be at that church together.”

Fire erupted about 2 p.m. Saturday in the unoccupied one-story building and burned intensely before firefighters were able to extinguish it 24 minutes later. Eleven companies and 85 firefighters responded. One firefighter sustained second-degree burns on his face, but his injuries were not life-threatening. He was treated and released from a hospital.

Officials determined the blaze was accidental but its cause is still under investigation, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Damage was estimated at $150,000.

“It was burning most intensely in the attic and that led to a partial roof collapse,” Humphrey said. “We were touched by the upbeat nature of the church members. I think they’re not only going to recover but prosper. And after 40 years in the community we’re going to do whatever we can to assist them.”

The church, which leased the Long Beach Avenue building, was founded by Hayes’ father when the community was largely black. Over the years, the area has become largely Latino and the church has welcomed the new congregants, starting a Spanish-language service.

Many longtime members, including Robert Frye, who now lives in Corona, are still drawn by the church’s commitment to the community. Among its many ministries is a food distribution program that draws 200 to 300 people on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.

“This church helps a whole lot of people in this neighborhood; there is more love here than anywhere else,” said Frye, a deacon.

Hayes said the goal is to regroup and perhaps find a larger facility that can accommodate more members and outreach programs. The church has a Facebook page to disseminate information about those efforts.

carla.rivera@latimes.com