FLINT, Mich. – Billy Chambers, 63, of Flint, has been charged in connection with a fire that heavily damaged a church in 2025.
Chambers was charged in a criminal complaint with arson, obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs, and arson to commit a federal offense.
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The 63-year-old appeared in federal court Monday (June 8) afternoon and was temporarily detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Bay City.
According to the criminal complaint, St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Flint was intentionally set on fire during the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2025.
Federal investigators allege surveillance video captured Chambers carrying a gas can wrapped in a black trash bag to the church before using an ignition device to start the fire.
Officials said the blaze caused significant damage to the church, forcing the congregation to hold services elsewhere for approximately two months.
If convicted, Chambers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could receive a sentence of up to life imprisonment.