Hobby Lobby founder David Green is cutting a hefty check to downtown Dallas. Church leaders at First Baptist Dallas announced Sunday that Green has donated $7 million to help rebuild the church’s historic sanctuary, which was gutted in a four-alarm blaze in July 2024. Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress revealed the gift during a morning service, saying the money will supercharge ongoing efforts to fund reconstruction and broader campus upgrades.
According to Jeffress, Green originally floated the $7 million as a matching grant. By the next morning, a local family had stepped up and fully met the challenge. As reported by The Christian Post, Jeffress told the congregation, “So David put the check in the mail.” Church leaders are calling the timing a major boost for their rebuilding schedule.
What Burned And What Still Needs Rebuilding
Nearly 18 months after the July 19, 2024 fire that ripped through the 134-year-old sanctuary, First Baptist is staring down a sizable bill to restore its landmark chapel. Rebuilding the red-brick sanctuary alone is expected to cost about $27 million, even before counting other campus projects that could push the overall price tag higher, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The blaze collapsed parts of the roof and destroyed the interior, leaving crews focused on stabilizing and saving what is left of the historic exterior. Demolition teams have been clearing debris while architects and church leaders work through designs meant to echo the building’s early 20th century character.
Fundraising, Scale And Timeline
The sanctuary rebuild is only one piece of a much larger financial puzzle. First Baptist Dallas has launched a $95 million “Mission 1:8 One Desire” campaign that bundles ministry budgets with campus improvements, according to The Dallas Morning News. The church’s downtown footprint covers roughly six city blocks and the congregation counts more than 16,000 members, numbers that give a sense of the scale behind the fundraising push.
Jeffress said Green’s offer started as a match but effectively turned into an immediate $7 million contribution once the local family met the pledge. That combination could push near-term reconstruction funds to roughly $14 million. As reported by The Christian Post, Jeffress publicly thanked Green and the Green family from the pulpit. Church leaders say the infusion puts them closer to a debt-free rebuild, provided other donors and commitments come through.
Why It Matters For Downtown Dallas
The big private gift lands while the church is still hammering out details with insurers and courting more donors to keep its construction timeline on track. According to First Baptist Dallas, crews are currently focused on stabilizing the remaining structure, and leaders remain optimistic about breaking ground in early 2026.
Church officials say the new funding will help them preserve defining historic elements of the sanctuary while carrying forward campus improvements meant to serve both worshippers and the wider downtown community. For a congregation that has anchored this corner of Dallas for more than a century, the money is less about cosmetic fixes and more about proving the fire did not get the final word.
