Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green has contributed $7 million toward the reconstruction of the sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas.
Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress shared the news during Sunday morning worship at the downtown megachurch, where he leads one of the nation’s most prominent Southern Baptist congregations.
The gift comes nearly 18 months after a four-alarm fire destroyed the 134-year-old sanctuary in July 2024, marking a significant milestone in First Baptist Dallas’ broader $95 million fundraising campaign to construct a new facility and expand ministries.
Before beginning his sermon series, “The Divine Defense: 6 Supernatural Weapons for Defeating Your Unseen Enemy,” Jeffress reflected on how Green’s initial proposal — a matching grant of up to $7 million — quickly evolved into an upfront donation.
“A couple of months ago, you remember David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, came to visit us, and he loves our church. He loves what our church stands for,” Jeffress told the congregation.
Jeffress explained that the Hobby Lobby Foundation typically directs its charitable giving toward international work rather than local churches, but Green made an exception in this case. “David recognized First Baptist Church is not just any local congregation,” he said. “It has a worldwide ministry.”
According to Jeffress, Green expressed deep admiration for the church’s evangelistic mission: “Pastor, your church is about winning people to Jesus. And that's what we love at Hobby Lobby. We want to win as many people to Jesus as quickly as we can. And that's what you're doing. And we want to play a part in the rebuilding of that historic sanctuary.”
Green originally offered a matching challenge of $7 million if First Baptist Dallas could raise an equal amount, making a combined total of $14 million. Jeffress recalled sharing the challenge with “a dedicated family” in the church, who responded the next morning by pledging to complete the entire match.
The funding arrives at a pivotal time for First Baptist Dallas, a congregation founded in 1868 that now spans six city blocks and includes over 16,000 members.
Although the July 2024 fire caused extensive destruction — collapsing the roof of the historic sanctuary and damaging an adjacent chapel — the church has pressed forward and was even voted “best church” in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area this past October.
Looking ahead to a planned groundbreaking in early 2026, Jeffress described upcoming improvements, including a “giant escalator and staircase” connecting two levels of the Crystal Center. He estimated that the sanctuary reconstruction alone will cost around $27 million.
