Sermons and media

2015: fire, faith and rebuilding

In June 2015, someone set a fire outside the church and burned the church van. Worship went on, churches near and far stood with us, and the sanctuary was later remodeled. The coverage, from the first local report to the story of rebuilding:

• WUOT 91.9 FMFebruary 14, 2023 Spirit Guide: How the Arson of a Black Church in Knoxville Has Affected More Than the Church CommunityHarvard Divinity School professor Todne Thomas on her research into how the fire affected the congregation and the wider community.
• WVLTJune 27, 2022 Tragedy to Triumph: Knoxville church rebuilds mission six years afterHow College Hill rebuilt after 2015, including a two-year sanctuary remodel and plans for youth outreach.
• Columbia Union VisitorJuly 23, 2015 Rockville, Woodbridge Churches Help Knoxville Church Recover From ArsonAdventist congregations in Maryland and Virginia prayed for College Hill and planned a musical fundraiser to replace the church van.
• Atticus ReviewJuly 13, 2015 A Pilgrimage to America's Burnt ChurchesA first-person essay describing a visit to College Hill on its hill in Knoxville.
• Facing SouthJuly 2015 As black churches burn, federal officials seek to calm worried congregationsFederal response to the church fires across the South that summer, including College Hill.
• Spectrum MagazineJuly 1, 2015 Adventist Church Among the Black Churches Set on Fire in SouthReport on the fire and ways readers could help the congregation.
• HuffPostJuly 1, 2015 Who In God's Name Could Be Burning Black Churches?National roundup; the pastor said damage was minimal and the church reopened.
• CBC NewsJuly 1, 2015 Who is burning black churches in the U.S.?Canadian roundup of that summer's church fires, including College Hill.
• CBC NewsJune 30, 2015 Fires at black churches in several U.S. states under investigationWire report on the investigations, including the fire at College Hill.
• Adventist TodayJune 29, 2015 Adventist Church in Tennessee among Four Historically Black Churches TorchedKnoxville-area Adventist churches joined the College Hill congregation for worship after the fire.
• CNNJune 29, 2015 Fires at black churches in spotlight post-CharlestonNational report quoting the College Hill pastor of the time.
• ABC NewsJune 29, 2015 String of Fires at 6 Predominantly Black Churches ScrutinizedNational report on the wave of church fires.
• The Christian PostJune 29, 2015 Black Churches Targeted, Burned in Wake of Charleston Massacre; FBI Launches ProbeReport on the fires and the federal investigation.
• Associated Press (KSL.com)June 29, 2015 Federal officials investigate recent fires at black churchesAP story on the federal inquiries, including the fire in Knoxville.
• The Washington PostJune 29, 2015 Six predominately black Southern churches burn within a weekNational roundup of that week's church fires. (subscription)
• NewsweekJune 2015 String of Fires at Black Churches Investigated as Arson After Charleston ShootingNational report on the investigations.
• PBS NewsHourJune 28, 2015 Black churches in the South reportedly targeted by arsonistsReport including the Knoxville Fire Department's findings at College Hill.
• BuzzFeed NewsJune 28, 2015 Arsonists Strike Black Churches Across The SouthTimeline of the June 2015 church fires.
• MicJune 28, 2015 One Tweet Nails The Hypocrisy of Media Coverage as Black Churches Burn Across the SouthCommentary on the coverage of that summer's church fires.
• WATE 6 On Your SideJune 22, 2015 Arson under investigation at African-American church in KnoxvilleThe first local report on the fire outside College Hill.