Members of burned LA church bear a cross through their devastated neighborhood to mark Good Friday

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carrying a tall wooden cross on his shoulder, Pastor John Shaver walked down the street where his church had stood, just three months ago.

Shaver had led the 102-year-old Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades for barely six months when it burned to the ground in the January wildfire that all but decimated the community. On Good Friday, Shaver and a handful of community members gathered at the gutted church site amid the grating noise of forklifts and jackhammers that were cleaning up and preparing the land for rebuilding.

They then embarked on a Good Friday “cross walk.” From their church to the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, they paused at nine locations reading a Bible verse at each stop — a slight departure from the traditional 14-step devotion commemorating Christ's suffering, crucifixion and death. Each station depicts a specific event in Jesus' last day, from his condemnation to death on the cross and burial.

While the church has held regular Sunday services at other locations recently, this was the first time members had set foot on the church site after the fire in which nearly 80% of the congregation, including Shaver, had lost their homes.

Church member Christine Odionu’s stopped by her burned-out condo. She said all that remained of her home was the garage. Her eyes welled up as she spoke.

“It’s just too painful,” she said. “Easter is a time of hope. But today feels like a sorrowful day, a day of mourning.”

A longtime member of the church, 85-year-old Annette Rossilli, was among 29 people who were killed across the Los Angeles area after the wildfires fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds erupted Jan. 7.

Shaver remembered Rossilli as the cross-bearing group walked down the street. He also stopped by the location where his house stood — the home he, his wife and two daughters ages 18 and 16 had moved into in July. Shaver looked at the barren plot of land and briefly remembered everything that was lost in the fire, including heirlooms from grandparents.

“It’s also a reminder how much of what we have, we take for granted,” he said, adding that on this day, he chose to wear clothes people donated to him after the fire in that spirit of appreciation.

On Good Friday, Via De La Paz, the street where the church property is located, was buzzing with activity as construction vehicles, demolition equipment and water trucks rolled up and down the street. Workers in green and orange vests were clearing debris. Despite the bustle, the scene was eerie.

Charred palm trees drooped and sagged like worn-out mops. Twisted metal and deformed wood stuck up from destroyed dwellings. On one plot, the only intact structure that remained was a brick fireplace. On another, two bright red, broken Adirondack chairs sat amid a pile of rubble.

Several homeowners had put up blue signs on their properties that read: “This home will rise again.” One family’s black-and-white sign said: “We are coming home! Hope to see you there. We miss you! Thank you for everything!” Palisades Elementary Charter School, whose building still stands across the street from the church, had a short message on its message board: “Pali will rebuild.”

Thomas Knoll, a neighbor since 2012 who also lost his home, said he came even though he is neither a church member nor religious.

“This feels like sort of a funeral for Pacific Palisades,” he said. “The whole story of crucifixion and resurrection is appropriate here. This town will be rebuilt, but it’s going to take a long time.”

The founders of the church, which celebrated its centennial in 2022, built the town of Pacific Palisades. The church building was constructed on a 1.5-acre site donated by the Southern California Methodist Conference. Methodist church planters inspired by the Chautauqua movement, an adult education and social movement in the early 20th century, selected the location, laying the foundation for the community in 1922, offering art, music and cultural programs to residents.

“It was a peace movement,” Shaver said.

The church, before it burned down, continued in that tradition, hosting community potlucks and gatherings from weddings, funeral, baptisms, holiday celebrations, dances and plays to sports activities for area youth and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

While much was lost, Shaver said they were able to recover some items, including ceramic mugs and tiles. One member rescued a large metal cross that stood atop the church’s tower, which burned down. A stone cross also survived the flames.

“We’re going to try and find ways to incorporate several of those items as we rebuild,” he said.

On the church grounds before the walk commenced, Adriana Ruhman was sifting through a pile of blackened and broken ceramic tiles. Having lost most family mementos in the fire, she was closely examining them to see if she could find one than bearing the hand prints of her two children. They had made it when they attended the church’s preschool 10 years ago.

“I feel like I hit the jackpot,” she said. “Just the idea that I could find the tile my kids decorated gives me hope today.”

Mary Katherine Breland lives in Los Angeles, but said she attended this church because it reminded her of communities in Alabama where she grew up. This was her first time coming back after the fire.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but it’s not until you see it first-hand that your emotions bubble up,” she said. “But Easter is a good time for us to start coming together again in church, reflect on the beauty of the past and look ahead to our new journey.”

Shaver said this was the first time this church had held a Good Friday cross walk. He hopes to continue this tradition in the coming years. As they neared the bluffs, a yellow sign said “End.” The group continued beyond the sign and stopped as they caught a panoramic view of the Pacific. On Easter Sunday, they'll join Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles for services.

“Even though that sign said ‘End,’ here we are taking in this amazing view,” Shaver told congregants. “So, the fire was not the end. We have a beautiful future ahead of us.”

The cross Shaver and others carried was bare on Good Friday. But come Easter Sunday, the pastor said, it will stand in a corner of their empty plot, decorated with fresh flowers as a symbol of their rebirth as a congregation.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A cross is erected during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

The land, center, where Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades once stood, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Members of a church listen to a prayer during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Joey Hargrove sorts through debris during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

The remains of the cornerstone of the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades are shown, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Carli Wright plays music during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Debris recovered from the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Members of the church listen to a prayer during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

A cross necklace is seen on Pastor John Shaver during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Carli Wright, right, plays a song during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Members of a church listen to a prayer by Pastor John Shaver, right, during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Pastor John Shaver poses for a portrait during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

The land, center, where Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades once stood, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Pastor John Shaver, right, carries a cross during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Carli Wright, right, plays music for a church prayer during a Cross Walk event by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)