JUNCTION, Ill. (WSIL) -- It took more than 19 months but the mission to rebuild a historic church in Gallatin County is complete.
Junction General Baptist Church, built in 1887, burned down in June 2022.
"We just gathered around and cried. All the love, everything that we've ever known was laying in ashes," said Phyllis Bradley, a Junction resident and church member since 1969.
On Saturday, leaders rededicated the new church 591 days after the old building burned to the ground. The church organized a committee in the wake of the fire to rebuild.
Right away the church received a week's worth of work from more than 100 volunteers with Carpenters For Christ, a group based in Montgomery, Alabama.
"When they left we realized that there was lots of work yet to be done and there have been so many people that have been a part of that," said Bradley.
A family donated the land for the church rebuild. The building sits on a hill away from its old location in town that was prone to flooding.
"It's an emotional thing to realize and know that even when the water begins to rise here in Junction that our church will be safe and dry," said Bradley.
The church paid for most of the materials to finish the building. Volunteers donated their time along with some items, including a piano.
The most emotional donation, says Bradley, was a cross made by students at Gallatin County High School. Emotional because those students built the cross using the surviving wood from the old church's foundation.
"Its allowed some history to come from our old church to the new in the form of a cross the old rugged cross," said Bradley. "There's a sweet spirit involved. It's amazing."
All of the church's old members came out Saturday night but also seven new members that Bradley was thrilled to see.
"Services have been going on for weeks now but now that we've dedicated our church it's full speed ahead," said Bradley.Â
"We are ready to go."
The church's new address is 9550 Sawmill Road, Junction, IL.
