Church Vows To Continue After Their Home Collapses In New London

NEW LONDON, CT — After the collapse of their home Thursday afternoon, the leaders of Engaging Heaven Church vowed to continue despite challenges.

Pastor Bob Nicolls posted on Facebook: "I don’t know where we will be on Sunday. We are working on it. I’ll tell you this….

"We are going to worship God like we never have before!" He wrote that he doesn't care if "we worship in a church or in the street."

"We are stepping into the greatest hour we have ever seen! NOW is the time!" he wrote.

Engaging Heaven Church shares space at First Congregation Church, WFSB-3 reported. The 66 Union St. building collapsed at 1:30 p.m., spreading dust across the area and closing part of downtown New London on Thursday.

Firefighters found one woman inside the rear of the church following a search, police said in a statement released late Thursday. The woman was not injured, and no other injuries were reported.

Multiple fire and police departments responded to assist, including Urban Search and Rescue, Connecticut State Police K-9 Search Team, DEEP Emergency Response Unit, and Connecticut Task Force 1.

Pedestrian and vehicular traffic was prohibited in the area of State Street between Washington Street and Union Street; Union between Governor Winthrop Boulevard and State Street; and Masonic Street between Eugene O’Neill Drive and Union Street, police said.

"The City of New London’s Collaborative Police/Fire Investigation Team is working with State and Local Agencies on this investigation," police said in a statement. "The incident is still active and no determination as to the cause of the structural collapse has been made at this time."

The First Congregational Church dates back to the 1600s, according to its website. The current church was constructed in 1851 by Leopold Eidlitz.

New London Mayor Michael Passero told Connecticut Public Radio that the city "suffered a very serious setback here." He said the church was "one of the oldest and certainly one of the most gorgeous religious structures in the city.”

Passero said that the building would be demolished as soon as an engineering team arrived. At least one of the two remaining towers will need to be taken down, according to WTNH News-8.

Crews inspected the remaining structure as well as nearby buildings. Students at a Connecticut College dormitory next door to the church were evacuated and put up in a hotel for a night, FOX 61 reported. There didn't appear to be any damage to the dorm building, but it's anticipated that students will be in the hotel throughout the weekend.

The City of New London has posted photographs of the building collapse on Facebook. Heidi Voigt of NBC Connecticut tweeted out video of the scene.

Anyone with information on the collapse can contact the New London Fire Marshal’s Office at 860-447-5294 or the New London Police Department Detective Division at 860-447-1481. Anonymous information can be submitted via the New London Tips 411 system.