RESEDA : Members of Burned Church Get Refuge

Members of a Hungarian church in Reseda destroyed by a suspected arsonist over the weekend said Monday that a neighboring congregation has offered to let them use its church to put on an annual Christmas pageant.

Grace Hungarian Reformed Church was consumed by fire Sunday morning--the third suspicious blaze to break out on church property in nine months. The blaze left the 140-member congregation wondering where it would worship.

Grace Hungarian Pastor Balint Nagy said the Fountain Springs Foursquare Church in Reseda has offered to let the congregation use its facilities until a permanent home can be found. “They were here and said if we need help, we could go to their hall,” Nagy said.

Members of a Salvadoran congregation that rented space at the church have not been as lucky. Pastor Rodolfo Alatorre said the 130 members of Iglesia de Dios met in two homes Sunday night and will continue to do so until they can find new quarters to rent.

“We are still looking for a place to meet,” Alatorre said.

Arson investigators, meanwhile, were searching for a motive and a suspect in the fire, which caused $300,000 in damage. It was unclear if Sunday’s blaze was related to the previous two, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Dean Cathey said.