RICHMOND, Va. — A historic Black church that helped shape Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood and played a pivotal role in the city's civil rights movement is gone after a fire Sunday evening destroyed the former Good Shepherd Baptist Church building.
Sunday Richmond firefighters battled flames, heavy smoke, and lightning as the former Good Shepherd Baptist Church burned. Their quick response kept the fire from spreading to neighboring homes, but they couldn't save one of Church Hill's most treasured landmarks.
Lt. Carlos Samuels Sr., the incident commander for the Richmond Fire Department, said the decision was made early not to risk firefighters' lives.
"I already knew that this was going to be a defensive operations fire, so we wouldn't put any of our members in danger," Samuels said.
Monday, the flames were out, but what's left behind is a painful reminder for some of what's been lost — a place where generations of families worshipped, celebrated milestones and helped shape Richmond's history.
Reverend Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, the current pastor of Good Shepherd Baptist Church, is still processing it all.
"To see everything going up in flames was disheartening, to say the least," Smith said.
Smith's connection to Good Shepherd began decades before he became pastor. The church's longtime pastor, Reverend Dr. Paul Nichols, recruited Smith to attend seminary at Virginia Union and mentored him as a young minister. Years later, Smith returned to lead the same congregation.
"We cannot forget where we came from, because if we do, we are doomed to repeat it," Smith said.
Although the congregation moved across the street years ago, Good Shepherd served as more than a place of worship. The church became a hub for civil rights activism, where faith leaders organized, mentored, and worked alongside the community to advance equality during some of Richmond's most pivotal moments.
Brenda Nichols, a member and former first lady of Good Shepherd Baptist Church, recalled the church's role in the aftermath of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
"There were two projects that happened when Dr. Martin Luther King passed," Nichols said.
Those two projects were led by her late husband, Reverend Paul Nichols, who served as pastor of Good Shepherd from 1961 to 1990. He helped calm tensions in the city following King's assassination and worked alongside other faith leaders to advance civil rights throughout Richmond.
"Physically, that part of history has been erased. However, there are ways we can work to commemorate that," Nichols said.
The loss is especially personal for Nichols. She was married inside the same sanctuary that now lies in ruins in 1964. It's also where her three daughters were baptized, and she watched generations grow within those walls through worship and youth programs.
"This building is no longer here, but the members, the ministries, and the programs that it births and that it housed goes far beyond anything else imaginable to give leadership in African American communities," Nichols said.
Church leaders say the fire is a devastating loss, but it won't slow down efforts to preserve the history of the former church.
"Generations yet unborn need to know that there was something special on that spot of ground," Smith said.
Nichols echoed that commitment.
"We can work together to bring good to the signage of this building, and what happened in this building that came out to make us better people in the community, and in the city of Richmond," Nichols said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Church leaders say their commitment to preserving Good Shepherd Baptist Church's history is stronger than ever.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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