By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
Northeast News
December 5, 2012

Above is the abandoned building near 7th and Prospect that caught on fire Wednesday morning.

Fire broke out in an abandoned building near 7th and Prospect early Wednesday morning, destroying the building and damaging an adjacent church.

According to Argell Miller who lives in the Glad Tidings Chapel and is its caretaker, a passing police officer noticed flames in the building next to the church and notified the Kansas City Fire Department. Miller was contacted by the officer and told to vacate the church immediately. According to Miller, the abandoned building has long been a “home” to transients who often light fires inside in order to keep warm.

Ben Morgan, the church’s pastor, said the city had re-boarded the building last week but transients had probably torn boards off to get inside last night. Damage to the church was primarily limited in a corner of the sanctuary and the kitchen. Fire crews did have to destroy four stained glass windows and parts of the sanctuary ceiling but Morgan was optimistic. “We’ll get by somehow,” he said as he surveyed damage inside the sanctuary. There were no injuries and city crews hope to have the burned building razed by this weekend.

Photos by Michael Bushnell

Another view of the abandoned building
Water damage affects the sanctuary located next door to the abandoned building.
Four stained glass windows at Glad Tidings Chapel are damaged as a result of the fire and ceiling debris has fallen to the ground.