Forty-nine firefighters and nine fire appliances were involved in battling the blaze at the Church of Ireland in Greenisland overnight.
The building on Station Road was extensively damaged. It is believed that bins were set alight with the fire spreading to the nearly buildings.
A NIFRS spokesperson said firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the duration of the incident to ensure that the fire was brought under control and prevented the spread to the remainder of the buildings.
“We would like to thank the public for their patience whilst we dealt with the incident.
“The cause of the fire is believed to have been deliberate ignition. It is thought that bins were set alight and the fire had spread to the nearly buildings.
“In supporting the PSNI appeal, we ask anyone who was in the area at the time and saw any suspicious activity, or has any information, to call 101 quoting reference 1437 of 01/09/24.”