WFAA-TV

A Bible was burnt to ashes.

There is sadness in Saginaw, after a fire gutted the church's sanctuary.

But when investigators went in, they found the sanctuary had been desecrated before the fire.

This is a burglary and arson investigation. Investigators believe a group of teens broke into the church early Saturday morning and say the fire burned for about three hours before it was called in.

What may have happened inside the church before the fire started is also being looked at.

"This building will not be usable for several months," said the church's Dr. Warren.

Darkness fills the sanctuary of Bethesda Baptist Church in Saginaw.

"We think something pagan was going on in here, something sacrilegious," Dr. Warren said.

Ashes coat the pulpit and the pews.

"The bible is burned. It could have been a part of the fire, but there's candle wax nearby, which is not a part of our process," Dr. Warren continued.

Investigators are trying to determine if the fire was part of the ritual or set to cover it up. You can see where the crosses have been nailed upside down.

"They not only turned the crosses upside down, but they rearranged them to suit whatever they were doing."

Investigators believe the fire started in a pulpit chair that burned a hole in the floor.

It was thought an animal was burned in the chair. Animal footprints lead into the sanctuary.

Surprisingly, it's not the ritual that brings him the most sadness.

"It's the memory of the weddings, the baptisms, the conversions, and all this will be gone," he said, wiping a tear.

He said they will be able to hold next Sunday's service in the fellowship hall, while the sanctuary is rebuilt.

He said the incident has bonded the church together and that they will continue their work, with or without this building.

Saginaw police have a person of interest and they searched his home yesterday, but no arrests have been made.