Police charge suspect with burning church

By Dianna L. Cagle

BR Editorial Assistant

While a Lincolnton arson case remains open, Temple Baptist Church members pray for a quick resolve.

"The Lord saw fit not to take the fellowship hall from us," said Dot Rhyne, 75, church clerk and pianist. The church did not meet for Wednesday evening services on July 25, the day after the fire, Rhyne said, because "everybody was just so exhausted." Members gathered July 26 at the fellowship hall and began cleaning and getting ready for Sunday's service July 29.

Police charged Jamie Clifton Sutton, 33, Tuesday with burning a church building. Sutton, who was arrested and charged with breaking, entering and larceny shortly after the July 24 fire, was in jail Tuesday on $150,000 bond. Reports indicate Sutton entered the church through a basement door and took electronic equipment.

Lincoln Police Det. Sgt. Matt Painter said the evidence points to the possibility that others might be involved. While his department is still processing evidence, Painter said several key pieces show several places where a fire was started.

"The heat from the fire was so intense it melted (some of the siding) on a house across the street," said J.D. Lesley, an estimator with Reid Jones McRorie & Williams. Lesley's company does independent estimates for different insurance companies, including Lincoln Mutual Insurance Company in Lincolnton, where the church is insured.

Lesley said the church "had building coverage and some content coverage for furniture and musical instruments."

Lincoln County Fire Chief Harvey Gates said the blaze was "suspicious" and called in reinforcements - United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

"It was a total loss," said Gates, who estimated the cost at $180,000.

Painter said 20 to 30 ATF agents and a couple of SBI agents spent July 24 processing the scene and interviewing between 50 to 100 people in the surrounding neighborhood.

Rhyne said the original structure was made of plank in 1921. All the wood probably caused the fast fire, she said. The structure faced Flint Street up until 1942 when the building was turned to face Catawba Street, and the faŤade was bricked, she said.

The church does not currently have a pastor. The sanctuary, baptistery and a couple of offices occupied the first floor of the destroyed structure. A basement included six to eight offices as well as a restroom and a furnace room. The church will continue to meet in the fellowship hall.

Rhyne said hymnals were piled up near the church's front door "because he was seemingly determined for it to burn. Evidently he went in first and carried things out that he wanted and then set the fire."

Painter said after his office finishes documenting evidence, it will be sent to the SBI. Once there it will take anywhere from six to nine months for the SBI to run all the DNA, fingerprint and accelerant analysis, Painter said.