Members of the Strait Gate Apostolic Church are scrambling to find a place to meet Sunday after the Richmond Hill Road church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, its pastor said.

Firefighters arrived at 6:20 a.m. Friday to find the roof fully engulfed and collapsing, Battalion Chief Ivan Bolgla said.

"We lost everything," said the Rev. Charles Herrington, who founded the church in 1994. "We didn't save anything. We lost the commercial kitchen, DVD players, drum sets, computers, all of it."

He said he didn't know where the church's 150 members will meet Sunday, but "we'll meet somehow." Eventually, he said, the church will rebuild on the site.

"People understand this happens," he said. "It's an act of God. Lightning strikes, and there's nothing we can do about it."

On Friday, at least five homeowners reported lightning strikes to houses near the church, said Capt. Tommy Cox of the fire department.

Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.