Community moves on after church fire

ROBINSON, Ill (WTHI) - It was Christmas news that no one wanted to get: a call that a church is on fire.

Several fire departments arrived at First United Methodist Church in Robinson, Illinois shortly after 6 Tuesday evening.

"My first thought was this is a joke. And then when I realized it wasn't, it was an immediate I gotta get there," First United Methodist Church Pastor Reverend Tiffany Black said.

It wasn't just a building.

The church was a light for over a century.

"It's been a staple in this community for many, many years it was formed in 1847, and the building behind me was built in 1899, so it been here for a long time," Reverend Black said.

"For me, it's just the memories lots of memories growing up in the church, the kids have grown up in this church so its special," First United Methodist Church Member Tyler Veenstra said.

Officials continue to piece together information on the blaze.

So far, a cause of the fire has not been determined.

"There are some things that we need to check out right now and eliminate those and hopefully we can find the reason that this happened," Robinson Fire Protection District Chief Ted Atteberry said.

However, as the community looks for answers, members say the fire won't stop them from continuing their faith.

"We all continue to meet, we are still a body of Christ, the building was just that, a building," Reverend Black said.

The Robinson Fire Department and United Methodist Church want to thank several other fire crews that came to their aid.

News 10 will continue to follow the story.