Fire outside church appears to be arson

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Live Oak Missionary Baptist Church has a mission of being a light in the darkness.

In the dark of night, at 2:40 in the morning Tuesday, a passerby saw a light outside the building that turned out to be a flames.

Pastor Jeffrey McCondichie said, "I got a pit in my stomach, and my first reaction was, Lord have mercy."

McCondichie has no idea who would've done this.

Mobile Fire-Rescue says the fire was intentionally set outside the Pastor's office. Now there are smoke stains and $3000 worth of damage. No one was injured in the fire.

McCondichie said, "When I come and saw the damage, I realized just how blessed we were and how much worse it could have been."

On the other side of the building McCondichie's wife stood and watched as a couple of good samaritans decided to pitch in.

"We’re cutting trees down to make it easier to see the church and everything,” said one woman.

These folks didn't even attend the church.

"Oh, I'm not a member of this congregation,” a volunteer said. "I'm a member of the body of Christ."

Some fellow members of the flock came out to volunteer and help out as well. Despite this hardship, the pastor said there are no hard feelings.

"I don't know for what reason or purpose they did it. But we just want them to know that God loves them and so do we,” said McCondichie.

The Alabama Bureau of Fire Prevention is investigating the fire.