PULASKI, Va. – It's been more than a year since a fire destroyed Pulaski Church of God, and now the congregation is getting ready to rebuild.
"There's a lot of excitement going on right now, a lot of momentum" said Pastor Don Jones, senior pastor at Pulaski Church of God. "People are excited about the future and can't wait to see the new facilities."
The community is invited to join the congregation on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for a groundbreaking for the new sanctuary and building.
"The new building is going to be, sizewise, it's going to be almost 21,000 square feet," Jones said. "It is going to be tied into the current building, our Family Life Center."
The sanctuary will have 525 seats in a theater-style setting.
"It's going to also have a children's wing to it," Jones said. "We're going to have state-of-the-art audio and media and so we're real excited about that."
The fire that destroyed the church happened in January 2017. Jones said it has been a long journey to get to this point.
"We know that God has turned a lot of sorrow into an abundant amount of joy for the people here and the community," Jones said.
Jones said the community has been an integral part of supporting the church.
"They've been very supportive, from our county and town officials, to our first responders, to local businesses, we've had a lot of support around us and we're very, very grateful," Jones said. "Very humbling, to be honest with you."
Jones said construction should take 12 to 14 months and will wrap up just in time for the church's 100th anniversary.
"There's been a lot of folks in our town and county that have a history with Pulaski Church of God, whether it was a wedding or a baptism or a revival service, there were events that brought people together here, so it's been a landmark in the community," Jones said.
Jones said Sunday's groundbreaking is about more than just celebrating a new facility, but celebrating the opportunity for more outreach and growth in the community.
"We're determined to love like God, serve like Jesus and impact with the Holy Spirit, so that is becoming our mission," Jones said.
Construction on the new church will start Monday.
"In the Bible it tells us, when they rebuilt the temple one time, there was a declaration that the glory of the latter house was going to be greater than the glory of the former house, and so that is what our hope and prayer is going to be for Pulaski Church of God," Jones said.