Blocks laid for new Antioch Church

Antioch Baptist Church has begun construction on its new building.Floodwaters swept the previous building away during Helene. In the aftermath, the church raised $600,000 in donations to rebuild at the same location — a couple of miles south of Mountain City, along U.S. 421."We weren't planning on building a building with this small of a congregation, but the Lord saw fit," Pastor Mike Fenner said. "It's obviously for the next generation, so they'll have a place to worship."Antioch Baptist Church set to rebuild one year laterFooters were dug in mid-September. They were filled with concrete, but not before a King James Version of the Bible was placed in each corner, and where the front door would be.Last week, a foundation was built out of concrete blocks.Final decisions are being made on materials and contractors and many people have volunteered to help build, Fenner said.The hope is to have the building "in the dry" before "real bad weather" sets in, Fenner said, so the interior can be worked on during winter. He wants it to be ready for services by Labor Day 2026."It will be nothing fancy, just a basic building," Fenner said. "It will be the same color, of course: a white building with a black roof.""The Lord's not through with Antioch" — Church washed away by Helene to rebuild with $600,000 in donationsThe floor plan is 36 by 112 feet — 4,032 square feet total. Fenner said this is larger than the previous structure, but isn't sure by how much.The church was first built in 1942, with expansions added over time. Fenner said this led to an odd layout, with people having to walk past the pulpit to get to the bathrooms.The new layout will be more modern, Fenner said. A screen for presentations will also be added.Fenner emphasized that Antioch will still be Antioch, however."The Book hasn't changed and we're not going to change the way we do things," Fenner said.Antioch raised the wall that separates the church from the nearby creek by two feet to counter future flooding and prevent people from driving into the water.