TAZEWELL, Tenn. (AP) -- There was a fist fight at a Claiborne County church and now the building has burned to the ground.
Detective Capt. David Honeycutt with the Claiborne County Sheriff's Office said the fire is being investigated and a look at the fight is a strong element of it. The cause of the fire late Friday or early Saturday hasn't been determined.
Edwards Community Missionary Baptist Church was in rural part of the county, near the Union County line.
WBIR-TV reported the building had stood for nearly 70 years, but a recent division over who should lead the congregation erupted into fisticuffs on Sept. 30.
Church member David Lovin told the station "it just all broke loose."
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Information from: WBIR-TV, http://www.wbir.com/
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
