Abandoned Pine Hills Church destroyed by fire was recently being used for religious service

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Several residents in Pine Hills told Channel 9 the Agape Church on North Hiawassee Road, which everyone thought was vacant and abandoned, was still a current house of worship.

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Orange County Commissioner Michael Scott, who oversees the district the church is in, said the building has been vacant for four years.

“Well, government isn’t fast as we all would like it to be, but property owners, whether it’s a business or individual, are afforded certain rights, and in those rights, they are afforded due process,” said Scott.

Commissioner Scott said the county has been in contact with the current property owner to bring the property up to code and figure out a future for the property, which takes time to work through until completion.

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Records showed the property was previously owned by the Agape Church.

After issues with fraud and funding, it shut down and has been apparently vacant since.

“It’s been there supposedly abandoned, but I still see people having service there,” said Pine Hills residents.

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Residents also said over the years, the building became a breeding ground for suspicious crime and drugs.

Back in 2021, the church had caught fire, and again Thursday.

Orange County Fire Rescue said 80% of the building was destroyed by the fire, causing the connecting building’s roof to collapse.

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Commissioner Scott said the plan is to figure out a solution for the property and eventually bring it back to life to better the Pine Hills community.

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