After Much Deliberation, Resort Church Decides To Raze Rectory Damaged By Fire

OCEAN CITY — A little over four months after the fatal fire at a historic downtown church that claimed the lives of two individuals, the leadership of St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City has decided to demolish the rectory building where the tragic blaze occurred.

On Nov. 26, 2013, Ocean City Communications received a call in reference to a fire at the St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church on Baltimore Ave. at 3rd Street. First arriving units found fire coming from the church rectory. The investigation revealed a suspect, later identified as John Raymond Sterner, 56, of Ocean City, had purchased gasoline at a nearby gas station, doused himself and ignited the fire in front of the church rectory and its Shepherd’s Crook and then walked into the facility fully engulfed in flames.

Sterner then came into contact with a female church employee, Dana Truitt, 42, of Ocean City, and attempted to hug her while engulfed in flames. The employee was able to push by Sterner, but not before catching on fire and sustaining severe burns. Truitt survived and is on the long road to recovery. Sterner died during the incident, as did the beloved church pastor Rev. David Dingwall, who was discovered unconscious on the second floor of the rectory and later succumbed to his injuries at AGH.
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