MIDDLEBURGH, N.Y. -- "I left the church somewhere around 9:30 and 10 and so I went over to the house and I wasn't ready to go to bed and so I laid down to relax and while I was lying there, I heard a fire whistle go off in the village," said Richard Owens, Pilgrim Holiness Church Pastor.

Owens says it all happened so fast.

"As soon as we came out in the yard, we saw, oh no the church is on fire,” Owens said.

The front part of the Pilgrim Holiness Church is now burnt to pieces. The church caught fire late Tuesday night. The building was empty at that time, but the flames quickly spread and caused major damage.

"The front of the building was on fire, the porch was on fire. There was a car port here and I have a van that was sitting under the porch," Owens said.

While officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire, Pastor Owens says he highly doubts an arson is involved.

“The church doesn't have any known enemies that would do such a thing,” Owens said. “We have no threats. I've been here for 16 years. We haven't have any threats or vandalism over that period of time."

Meanwhile parishioners are moving forward and say they are thankful no one got hurt.

"I believe that we will grow stronger from this. The community out here in Middleburgh has been tremendous and really looking forward to what the community can do and really rebuilt this church to something greater," a parishioner said.

Pastor Owns says he doesn't know where services will be held until the church is repaired, but he says two area congregations have already offered up space so parishioners can continue to worship.