JOHNSON COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) - A church on the Laurens and Johnson County line caught fire Friday morning, and crews rescued a man who was inside as the fire was happening.

Flames erupted from the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church along Highway 319 Friday. Fire Chief Shawn Wombales says fire crews started fighting the blaze around 9:52 a.m.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire, but not before considerable damage was done to the 100-year-old structure.

Chief Wombales states that the 30-year-old man inside the church was screaming for help when firefighters arrived at the scene.

The man has special needs and had been reported missing around 7 a.m. Friday morning. Chief Wombales states that he'd wandered away from home.

Chief Wombales adds that the man is not being considered an official suspect. He was taken to the hospital after crews pulled him out of the burning church.

More than 100 firefighters and public safety personnel responded. Fire crews from Laurens County also responded to help.

The structure that burnt down was the original church. That building was used for certain events, but church services had previously been moved to a nearby structure.

Rayne Odom tells us this church fire was devastating for her community.

"It's very heartbreaking. I grew up as a kid going to this church. All of my family I've got buried over here," she says. "There were a lot of memories running through my mind as it was burning."

There's no information available on any injuries or what the cause may have been.