Congregation plans new Church of Christ

Lynwood and Armilda Mathis are two driving forces behind a new church called Church of Christ Highway 56 North.

Both those numbers will increase by one July 2 when a new Church of Christ congregation assembles for the first time with Mathis as the preacher.

The new church is called Church of Christ Highway 56 North and plans are under way to build a church capable of seating 250 people in its auditorium. The church has purchased 10 acres of land on Smithville Highway just before the Screw Machine building.

?The location is really the motivating thing behind this,? said Mathis, who has helped start a church in Georgia but has never started one from the ground up. ?We have a temporary meeting place and we will be meeting there for the first time July 2.?

The temporary meeting place is at 2461 Smithville Highway across from the new Ben Lomand building. Bible classes begin July 2 at 9:30 a.m.

Mathis has worked full time with three Warren County congregations and has preached all over the Midstate.

Through his travels, Mathis has always kept his home in McMinnville and is glad to be back here on a permanent basis.

?I?ve been in and out of Warren County since 1962,? said Mathis. ?I?m excited about this new project. We have the architect?s plans and have already gotten some septic work done.?

Mathis said he did not have a timetable as to when the new church will be complete.