No Proof Yet of Arson in SC Church Burning

Federal investigators say early signs indicate the fire at a black church in Greeleyville, South Carolina, was not arson.

But the investigation is still underway, and South Carolina officials say they haven't ruled anything out.

The devastating fire at the historic Mount Zion AME Church in Greeleyville happened on a night when there was a lot of lightning in that area.

Black churches across the South are on high alert after seven churches burned from Georgia to Tennessee in recent days, and several of the fires have been ruled as arson.

"I think the key is the Church needs to remember that God says we as the Church will face tribulation, but He will overcome it," said visiting New York pastor Rev. Dean Moss. "As African-Americans we've got to overcome the situation, not let a few people define this moment."

Investigators say they don't have evidence of a racial motive, but the fires all came after a white gunman murdered nine black Christians at a church in Charleston.

Fires at houses of worship were a common problem in the United States from 2007 to 2011. An average of 31 such buildings burned every week.