A Lebanon church that began as a chapel of Joseph’s Storehouse Food Ministry in Wilson County has grown so large that it needs a new campus and is moving from downtown to new facilities south of Interstate 40.
Love’s Way Church plans to begin construction on a 25,000-square-foot facility on 21 acres of its own land at 1315 Murfreesboro Road near Stumpy Lane on Tuesday, Aug. 22. “This will help us do more in our community,” said Pastor Johan McGregor.
The church’s current location at 310 Coles Ferry Pike is for sale due to the impending move. Global Vision Bible Church in western Wilson County, led by Pastor Greg Locke, has a contract to purchase the Love’s Way Church property.
According to J&S Construction Company, a 100,000 square foot church space will accommodate over 650 people. Love’s Way currently draws about 300 attendees for Sunday services.
New audio and video systems, multiple classrooms for educational programs, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and an on-site coffee and meeting lounge are also part of the plans.
Further phases are planned, McGregor said.
Phase two includes a fully equipped gymnasium that would be open to the public and include a youth center and coffee area.
And a third phase involves establishing a Bible school, McGregor said.
Bob and Peggy Evans founded Love’s Way Church in 2005 with Joseph’s Storehouse, which delivers food to hundreds of families in need each month. Love’s Way Church’s involvement with Joseph’s Storehouse will continue with McGregor on the board.
Love’s Way initially met with just a few members and then became a worship service at the chapel in Joseph’s Storehouse on Tater Peeler Road before moving to Coles Ferry Pike in 2015, McGregor said.
Bob Evans died in 2018 at the age of 82.
It is uncertain when Love’s Way’s new facility will be completed, but McGregor hopes for sometime in 2025.
Where Love’s Way would meet in the interim should Global Vision close out its contract and move to the Coles Ferry Pike site before the new facility is completed was not immediately clear. A leaseback sale to continue using the Coles Ferry site, leasing another facility or using a barn already on the Murfreesboro Road property have all been discussed.
“We are still weighing options,” McGregor said.
Reach Andy Humbles at [email protected] or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @AndyHumbles.
