North Philadelphia church: ‘We will rebuild’

A three-alarm fire at a church on North Broad Street last week caused evacuations on Carlisle Street.

Fred Tookes, 59, holds pictures of his late father, pastor Ernest Tookes, and Bishop S. C. Johnson, who founded the Apostolic Faith Church, in front of The Original Apostolic Faith Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Inc, on Broad Street between Oxford and Jefferson on Sunday. The church suffered a three-alarm fire last week, and these photos were some of the few things preserved. | SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

On Thursday, Fred Tookes’s church on Broad Street between Oxford and Jefferson suffered a three-alarm fire that burned through the building, shut down part of North Broad Street and caused evacuations on surrounding streets.

Few things were preserved from the fire, one of them being a sign bearing the church’s name: The Original Apostolic Faith Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Inc. It was a miracle from God, Tookes said.

“God preserved the sign, and that’s incredible,” said Tookes, the eldest son of the church’s late pastor Ernest Tookes. “Everybody really thought that was a miracle.”

The building, placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in November 1985, will be rebuilt, amid an outpouring of love and support from the community, Tookes said.

Members of the church’s community are “heartbroken” over the fire, where some have been worshipping for decades, Tookes said.

“It seemed too surreal,” said John Gale, 35, who has been a congregant of the church since he was 8 years old. “It’s sad, because I have a lot of memories at that church. I’ve been brought up basically in that church. You’re talking over 20 years of going to the same place, same walls, same door entrance.”

Tookes said in the immediate days following the fire, he received calls from local clergy offering donations and worship space, like from Holy Ghost Headquarters at the Met near Broad and Poplar and Congregation Rodeph Shalom near Broad and Spring Garden.

There is serious interior and exterior damage to The Original Apostolic Faith Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Inc, on Broad Street between Oxford and Jefferson after a fire last week. | SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Rev. Mark Hatcher, pastor at Holy Ghost Headquarters at the Met, saw the fire from his church, but he didn’t know it was The Original Apostolic Faith Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Inc. until he turned on his car radio.

He said he wanted to help out, because Tookes is a long-time friend of his. He offered resources and worship space.

“It was only right for me to go and embrace [Tookes],” Hatcher said. “That’s why I actually reached out to him, and let him know whatever we can do.”

“You’re talking about a ministry that has been in the community for over 40 years,” he added. “I want to see them rebuild and still play an active part in this community.”

Tookes said he is now focused on the investigation of the fire.

“The family and the church is heartbroken,” Tookes said. “We just want to know what happened when we left there Tuesday evening. Everything was fine, everything was locked up.”

The Fire Department was dispatched to the church at 2:27 p.m. on Thursday, with reports of a building fire. About 120 fire personnel responded, and at times were forced to fight the fire from the outside, as the fire’s temperature grew too high.

A spokesperson from the Fire Department said the building has been deemed unstable, and if necessary repairs are not made, it will need to be demolished. On Saturday, The Department of Licenses and Inspections fenced in the site for safety purposes.

Officials from the Fire Department, the Department of Licenses & Inspections and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been present at the scene to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The Bureau responds when sensitive places, like churches, are damaged to determine if arson occurred.

“We didn’t burn ourselves out,” Tookes said. “We talked to the investigators, and they said our family was never under investigation, because there was no one in the building.”

In addition to the serious exterior and interior damage, Tookes said both of the parish’s pulpits were also lost in the fire.

“We’re just waiting on the investigation,” Tookes said. “And whichever way it goes, we want to stay there. We’ve been there since 1979, and we feel as though we are a part of history.”

CORRECTION: A cutline for a photo in a previous version of this article misstated who is in the photos that Fred Tookes is holding. Tookes’ late father, pastor Ernest Tookes, and Bishop S. C. Johnson, who founded the Apostolic Faith Church, are pictured.

4 Comments

  1. The Tookes Family have contributed much to the North Philadelphia community via their produce business and preservation of their historic gem of a building in our community. Thank you Fred Tookes for honoring your parents legacy!

  2. Praise the Lord Brother Tookes ; Just to let you know Im with you in what ever you and the Church want to do , We remember what Bishop preached when he was here , The Lord givith and the Lord taketh away ,Blessed be the name of the Lord.We know what to do, these things are wrought by Fasting and Praying.We have been tought how to go to God for what ever we need and want.
    your brother in Christ ,Tell mom I Love her, My prayers are with you and the Family love you much,Peace Be ….

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