DETROIT – A historic house of worship in Detroit caught fire twice on Saturday, prompting investigations into what caused the fires.
The former Bushnell Congregational Church has a long history in the community, serving as the largest Congregational church in Detroit and one of the largest in the nation during the peak of its popularity.
In 2023, the city shut down Soul Tribes International Ministries for allegedly having a dispensary onsite for psilocybin mushrooms.
Firefighters respond to calls for separate fires
Firefighters responded to back-to-back calls for separate fires.
The first fire occurred at the rear of the building. Just before 8:30 a.m., Detroit fire responded to this church, said Chief Percy Warmack of the Detroit Fire Department.
“It was on the bottom of the stairs. It was outside. It was like somebody was having a warming fire or something,” he said.
In less than 90 minutes, firefighters returned to the scene after the property owner reported a fire in the kitchen.
Shaman Shu, head of Soul Tribes International Ministries, expressed concern over the loss of irreplaceable historic relics stored in the kitchen.
“I’ve got books, historic relics in that kitchen I’m concerned about -- the stuff you can’t replace,” Shu said.
The church, deemed controversial, was padlocked by city officials to protect the neighborhood. City Council President Pro-Tem James Tate praised the decision, stating it was a significant win for residents at the time.
“I think it’s a huge win for our residents, based on the feedback that I’ve gotten from far and wide in the district,” Tate said in an archived interview.
Since the closure, Shu claims that individuals have trespassed on the property, engaging in drug use and theft.
When asked if he had considered hiring security, Shu said, “This building has been around for 100 years, and so if you take possession of someone’s asset, you’re supposed to protect it, and they didn’t do that.”
Due to the building’s vacancy, no injuries were reported in the fires.
The fire department quickly extinguished the flames, and investigators are now working to determine the cause and origin of the fires.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also arrived on scene.
