Judge Denies Release for Man Charged in Fire at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan

Billy Chambers, 63, of Flint, has been charged in connection with a fire at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Flint. According to one report, he faces charges of arson, obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs, and arson to commit a federal offense. The fire broke out in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2025.

The fire caused extensive structural damage and displaced the congregation for approximately two months, a loss that calls for comfort in grief (Psalm 34:18). Federal investigators presented evidence suggesting Chambers intentionally set the fire. One report states that surveillance footage allegedly shows Chambers carrying a gas can wrapped in a black trash bag to the church, followed by the use of an ignition device.

A later report gives a different account of the sequence. Court records allege that Chambers walked to the church from a nearby field shortly after 2 a.m., broke a window, and later returned with gasoline and materials used to start the fire. Prosecutors allege he poured gasoline through the broken window before igniting it.

Chambers appeared in federal court on June 8 and was temporarily detained. A detention hearing was scheduled for the following day in Bay City, according to the first report. That report also states that, if convicted, Chambers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence.

Co-defendant Sonja J. Settles was charged along with Chambers in connection with the arson. Chambers has also been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the alleged offense occurred on March 10 or June 5, 2026.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Vance said the fire caused an estimated $350,000 in damages. U.S. District Judge Frances Kay Behm later denied Chambers’ request for release from detention during a motion hearing on a Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Flint. The second report does not specify the date of that hearing.

Chambers’ next court date is Feb. 2.