Whittier church goes up in flames

A two-alarm fire erupted inside a church in Whittier on Thursday morning.

It was around 4:20 Thursday morning when Firefighters got a call that a longtime Whittier church was on fire. When they arrived flames were shooting into the sky. There was thick smoke. 

The fire was extinguished by 9 a.m. One person was injured and taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was unknown.

No one expected anything like this in the middle of the night. Certainly not the 300 to 400 people that pray here at Good Shepard Family Bible Church. The 2-decade-old church was reduced to ashes and rubble -- so painful for those who call this their religious home.

And, the wind a concern for firefighters. L.A. County Fire Inspector Sky Cornell told FOX 11 that "There were gusts of winds that came in the night which was the number one concern for us the possibility of spotting and embers floating into other parts of the neighborhood."

This church has been serving this community for 20 years with weekly services, bible study sessions, and weddings. So many people stood across the street as firefighters worked and said they were "saddened and devastated." Others called it "heartbreaking."

Senior Pastor Sam Gamboa said that looking at the burned-out church is tough. But, if there's a sermon in what's happened worship director Jeff Harper puts it this way... "I think at the end of the day we're taught to always trust God and God is in control.
 
Church members vowed the church is "gonna rise again," and one member said, "What the devil does for evil God is going to do for the good. We're going to get a new building and no devil in hell is going to stop us from worshipping God."

Fox 11 Digital Producer Kelli Johnson contributed to this report