It has been more than 5 years since an arsonist set fire to three historically Black churches in St. Landry Parish in Louisiana.
Now, one of those churches is finally set to reopen. Greater Union Baptist Church of St. Landry Parish is set to start a new beginning almost complete, with an official reopening tentatively scheduled for this month, according to News 15.
The 130-year old church was burned to the ground by arsonist, Holden Matthews who was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after admitting to setting the fires.
In 2019, Matthews charred 3 historically African American Baptist churches. He was charged with three counts of arson as well as one count of using fire to commit a federal felony.
Holden Matthews had expressed both racist and satanic sentiments online and offline. He is the son of a sheriff’s deputy.
In 2019, Matthews destroyed Greater Union Baptist, St. Mary’s Baptist Church of Port Barre and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church of Opelousas by fire.
Pastor Patrick Lavergne of Greater Union Baptist told News 15, "We have a bigger facility, and we have a lot more options in this new facility than we had in the old facility. As is stated, what the devil meant for evil, God turned it into good.”
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