A video allegedly obtained from WhatsApp has been widely shared on Twitter and other social media platforms. It is a video of a burning church with the logo of “Boston 25 News” attached to it.
According to the user who shared the video, lightning struck the church while two famous homosexuals were getting married. The post also claimed that the church is well-known for marrying many homosexuals, with many of them travelling to church to legally marry.
“Fire gutted a church in Boston on 3rd June as two famous homosexuals were getting married. Suddenly a powerful lightning struck this church which immediately caught uncontrollable fire despite having lightning conductors. This church was famous for LGBTQ+ pride and most gays traveled to wed there. Amazingly, no single fire fighting truck was able to reach it to extinguish the fire before it completely vanished. Surely, heavens have had enough of gay nonsense.”
Various versions of the story have been attached to the video and have circulated on social media, Facebook, and various blogging websites. It is particularly prevalent in African countries where there is a strong dispassion towards gay rights, and particularly in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding Uganda, which recently enacted what has been regarded as one of the world’s strictest anti-gay law.
Claim 1
That a powerful lightning struck the church while two famous homosexuals were being wed.
Verification
In its investigations, the CDD War Room discovered that the church, the First Congregational Church of Spencer, United Church of Christ, is a 280-year-old church in Boston, Massachusetts.
The church, which was built in 1743, was destroyed by fire in 1862; a new structure, constructed a year later, was opened in 1863. Before the second fire incident on June 2, 2023, destroyed this building, it had served the community for more than a century.
There was a thunderstorm on June 2, 2023, according to news reports and numerous eyewitnesses indeed claimed to have seen lightning strike the structure. Investigators who examined the ruins confirmed that the lightning that struck the steeple was what ignited the fire and caused it to collapse into the rest of the church.
However, the 30-person congregation was empty at the time of the incident. There were no ongoing church services, nor was there a wedding ceremony.
Furthermore, no civilians or firefighters have been reported injured, and the fire department chief has been quoted as saying that the church was closed when the lightning struck.
Verdict: FALSE
The claim that the church was hit while “two homosexuals were getting married” is false. As at the time of the incident, the church was empty.
Claim 2
Many gay people travel to the church to wed there, and the church is famous for LGBTQ+ pride.
Verification
The CDD War Room investigated the claim and found no link between the Spencer Church and the LGBTQ community. Nothing in the news suggests that the church is a destination for the LGBTQ community’s ready-to-wed members.
The church serves a small community of parishioners and hosts an economy shop where people can make purchases of thrifted items.
We did, however, discover another church in Massachusetts, Sommerville Church, that was set on fire on June 11, 2023, after hosting a Pride worship event. Investigations are still underway to determine whether the fire was related to the church’s pride event.
Verdict: FALSE
The claim that Spencer Church is famous for LGBTQ+ is false.