Cambridge church congregants shocked by allegations of arson
Members of the Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge said Wednesday they were shocked that the fire that tore through their church building on Easter was apparently set.
Investigators said Tuesday they believe the six-alarm fire on April 9 was intentionally set and are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect.
The Rev. Robin Lutjohann, the church’s pastor, said news of the suspected arson was “troubling” and “disturbing.”
“I found out about it the same way everyone else did,” Lutjohann said Wednesday. “My first thought was concern for the community.”
While members of the congregation have been rattled and disturbed by the news, they are grateful for the outpouring of love and support they’ve received since the fire, Lutjohann said.
“A church can exist without a building,” Lutjohann said. “We’ve been forced to go back to the basics, but it’s not an untrod road.”
The church has been in The Port neighborhood of Cambridge for 130 years. It was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1892 and the church building wasn’t completed until 1909, Lutjohann said.
“They built it with their own hands,” Lutjohann said. “But for 17 years they didn’t have a building. Now we are back in a similar space; we’re in need of other people’s generosity and hospitality.”
Since the fire, the church has been holding services at the Pentecostal Tabernacle on Columbia Street, about a quarter of a mile away.
‘To think that someone wanted to do all that damage, it’s appalling.’ JEANNE GARRISON, widow to the church’s former pastor, the late Rev. Timothy J. Stein
Lutjohann said the congregation is thankful it can gather there. “They’ve been overwhelmingly generous,” he said.
Jeanne Garrison, who was married to the church’s former pastor, the late Rev. Timothy J. Stein, said it was “appalling” that someone would set their church ablaze.
“People have been energized about the notion of rebuilding and we’ve been receiving a lot of support. The notion of arson, for me at least, it kind of knocked me backwards. It makes it worse,” she said. “If it was an accident, that’s one thing. To think that someone wanted to do all that damage, it’s appalling.”
The fire was reported shortly before 5:30 p.m. on April 9, officials said. The blaze quickly grew to six alarms, drawing fire crews from a dozen communities. Firefighters battled the blaze until about 4 the next morning, officials said.
No injuries were reported, but the church sustained heavy damage. Stained glass windows were shattered and one side of the building collapsed. The steeple had to be removed.
Investigators want to hear from anyone with information about the fire and people who were near the church that Sunday evening.
“No piece of information is too small to share,” Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas F. Cahill Jr. said in a statement. “We are keenly aware that any place of worship is a cornerstone of the community, and we want to reassure residents that we’re approaching this case with the seriousness and gravity that it deserves.”
Anyone with photos or videos of the scene, including the day before the fire, the day of the fire, and during the firefighting operations, is urged to submit them to fbi.gov/cambridgechurchfire. Tips can be made to the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-2255324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.