HOWARD — Mount Vernon Baptist Temple is holding an open house Sunday, inviting its neighbors to join them for Sunday services to see the inside of the new building at 21453 Floralwood Lane.
“We’re excited about our new building,” said Senior Pastor Bill Fennell. “We’re having the open house to invite our neighbors who have seen the building go up to come and see what’s inside.”
The independent Baptist church was formerly located on Yauger Road, but was outgrowing the facility it had occupied since 2001.
A couple events made the new church possible, Fennell said. The Knox County Career Center approached them about buying the Yauger Road property and people who wish to remain anonymous donated 15 acres on Floralwood Drive to the church. The church purchased an additional five acres to give them a 20-ace campus.
The property included a small chapel building where they held services while the new church was built.
“The chapel is too small to seat all our members, so we had to hold two services each Sunday,” Fennell said. The church currently has 220 members.
The chapel building now houses the Temple Christian Academy.




