First Baptist Dallas undeterred by terror threat from ISIS

First Baptist Dallas has been named by the Islamic State as a potential target for an attack, but the church is undeterred by the threats from the terror group.

Earlier this month, a photo of the megachurch was included in an article in the digital ISIS propaganda magazine, Rumiyah, in which the jihadists urged its supporters to carry out arson attacks, NBC 5 reported.

The church has been described in the caption of the photo as "a popular Crusader gathering place waiting to be burned down."

Federal law enforcement stated that the threat is being taken seriously, but there is no sign of imminent danger to the church.

First Baptist, which is headed by Pastor Robert Jeffress, released a statement saying it will not be deterred by the terror threat.

"The Bible tells us the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear. If we surrender to fear, ISIS wins. We will continue doing what the lord has called us to do," the statement said.

A federal law enforcement official has stated that the threat has been considered credible in the sense that it has been released in a publication viewed by people who are interested in carrying out attacks. However, the officials have maintained that there is no evidence of plans of an attack.

The 12,000-member megachurch told NBC 5 that it has been in contact with the FBI and the Dallas police for weeks and added that it is confident in its security measures.

The article also included hospitals, nightclubs, schools, Shia mosques and other areas as potential targets, according to Heavy. It stressed that "[a]rson attacks should in no way be belittled. They cause great economic destruction and emotional havoc and can be repeated very easily."

The magazine also included sections containing instructions on creating and using Molotov cocktails.

Earlier this month, the Lone Mujahid channel on Telegram, which frequently calls for lone wolf attacks on the West, posted several threats to the U.S. and published a poster that included instructions on manufacturing chemical weapons.

U.S. counterterrorism officials told Homeland Security Today at the time that they are taking the potential threats "very seriously."

"This shows the growing sophistication of jihadi groups to develop new methods of creating new attack capabilities," said an official.