$25K for serial church arsonist tips

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An Austin pastor has inspired members of the First Baptist Church in Temple after fire gutted their 70-year-old sanctuary. State and federal investigators believe it was one of eight Texas churches set on fire since Jan. 1.

The downtown Temple church glowed before the sun came up Jan. 19. The following night the First Baptist Church of Austin filled their large sanctuary and prayed.

"I think they're probably filled with a lot of hope right now in the midst of their sadness," said Roger Paynter, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Austin.

Paynter is friends with Temple's pastor Martin Knox, and and logs onto his Facebook page daily for updates. Knox's post was promising the first Sunday after the fire when his congregation met in another building.

Roger read the post, "God blessed us with an incredible morning. God's spirit was very real. The crowd was energetic and hopeful. The hugs and encouraging words touched my heart deeply."

Heartache hit when investigators ruled the fire arson several days later.

"What a huge sadness, why this hate?" asked Paynter.

Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Investigators have yet to connect it with the work of a serial arsonist they believe has hit seven East Texas churches.

The latest church fire to be ruled arson was the Russell Memorial United Methodist Church in Wills Point, east of Dallas.

"Obviously someone that would do something, set a church on fire, is very disturbed and we would pray for them and pray they'd be able to find God and Christ," said Pastor Dr. Darrell Coats in Wills Point.

Arson investigators are headed to two Baptist churches that burned east of Tyler Monday night. The buildings sit three miles apart.

In addition to prayers, Paynter typed a message to the pastor in Temple. It was a message he learned after watching his own church building in Oklahoma City accidentally burn down back in high school.

"It's helped me understand that the church really is about the people, it's not about the institution," said Paynter.

The lesson was well received in Temple after his fellow pastor read the note to his congregation who are trying to pick up the pieces and move on.

In the meantime, the Department of Public Safety raised the cash reward for information related to the string of fires to $25,000. Call 888-ATF-FIRE with information.