By Reid Forgrave
The Cincinnati Enquirer

EDENTON - Members of Edenton First Baptist Church in this rural Clermont County area mourned the loss of their house of worship Sunday after a fire - suspected to be arson - destroyed much of the red-brick building that church volunteers built by hand.

But all day Sunday, scores of optimistic parishioners filtered in and out of a house across the street, and each echoed the same sentiments:

Our building is gone, but our church is still here.

"I feel more sorry for the ones who did this than for us," said Joyce Henson, the wife of church pastor Ron Henson.

"They must have a lot of turmoil in their life. Nobody who's a Christian would do this to God's house. I forgive them and I'll be praying that they get peace with God and be saved.

"They can take our building, but they can't take our love."

An investigator pasted an "arson" sign on the church Sunday morning and investigators say thieves stole electronic equipment before they disabled the fire alarms and set fire to the church.

No damage estimate was available.

Church members said the fire started on a magazine rack in the church's foyer and quickly spread to the attic, destroying much of the sanctuary.

The adjacent fellowship hall was saved, and church members hope to hold services there until they can rebuild.

One neighbor who lives a half-mile away told investigators he smelled smoke early Sunday, then saw a car speeding away from the scene. He did not get a description of the car.

"It's a sin," said Judy Bradshaw, whose two daughters were baptized in the church. "Satan's getting his job done. I can't imagine anyone being able to sleep after doing that."

The 25-year-old church has a congregation of 200, nearly 100 of whom regularly attend Sunday services.

Vic Scott, the church's youth director, has attended the church since its first Sunday in an old gym down the street. He said he'll address the arson with his Sunday school students soon, and he plans to preach the message of forgiveness.

"I'm angry. But I'm going to tell (the children) that we need to pray for them and that you need a forgiving heart. Whoever did this needs a church more than anyone."

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E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com