Cape’s Latter-day Saints ponder future site after church destroyed in fire

Cape Girardeau’s Latter-day Saints (LDS), whose church building was destroyed by a suspected arsonist April 18, have been holding Sunday worship since the blaze at the Osage Centre.

Kevin Dickson, LDS stake president for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois for the last seven years, said it is unknown whether the congregation will build again at the scene of the three-alarm fire, 1048 W. Cape Rock Drive.

“Anytime there is a total loss, church headquarters (in Salt Lake City) will go through a real estate review — so the ward may go back to the current site or it may go elsewhere,” Dickson said, adding there is no timeline for a decision on a future location.

The LDS (Mormon) Church refers to local congregations as “wards,” with multiple congregations in a given area organized into what are called “stakes.”

Dickson represents five wards in his stake — four of them in Missouri: Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Farmington; and one in Carbondale, Illinois.

The Cape Girardeau ward had hosted a stake conference just one week before the fire.

Christopher Pritchard, the fire suspect, is due back in court Monday before 32nd Judicial Circuit Judge Scott Lipke on charges of second-degree arson and burglary, stealing of $750 or more and first-degree property damage motivated by discrimination — which is classified a hate crime.

The cleared site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cape Girardeau, destroyed by fire April 18, is seen July 7. Church officials say they will rebuild either at church-owned property at 1048 W. Cape Rock Drive or at another location.Jeff Long ~ jlong@semissourian.com

Pritchard, a 45-year-old homeless man, was assigned a public defender July 6.

Dickson declined to comment on Pritchard’s case Monday, saying he would prefer to allow the criminal process to run its course.

“(The fire) definitely pulled our people together,” Dickson said. “We’re grateful to the City of Cape Girardeau for renting us meeting rooms and half of the gymnasium at Osage and we appreciate the offering of support and condolences from people in the community.”

A majority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cape Girardeau, seen April 19, was damaged the night before in a a three-alarm fire. Sarah Yenesel ~ sarahy@semissourian.com, file

History

The Cape Girardeau LDS, with an average weekly attendance of 200, purchased its West Cape Rock land parcel July 24, 1968, and began holding meetings there Oct. 11, 1970.

Rebuilding

The Cape Girardeau ward is not in need of funds for a new church building, Dickson said, but those interested in making a donation are invited to help the mission of the LDS church by visiting www.latterdaysaintcharities.org.