David W. Smith/ Daily NewsChurch members participate at a groundbreaking for Mount Pleasant Church Sunday.

Mount Pleasant Church of Christ turned some dirt, and turned the page to a new chapter in its history by breaking ground Sunday for its new building in a special ceremony.

The congregation lost its former building in an Aug. 13 arson.

Under a sunny sky Sunday afternoon, more than 120 worshippers gathered under a tent at the site of the new building about a mile south of the church’s previous home on Ky. 185 near Richardsville.

Church elder Brad Young was one of several people who described Sunday’s groundbreaking as a “leap of faith” the church was undertaking.

“The world presses in on every side and shows us, especially financially, how fragile things are,” Young said. “This day we’re stepping forth and showing the world that we’re standing behind our God.”

Mount Pleasant traces its history back to 1838. The building that was destroyed by fire was completed in 1998.

When the fire occurred, the church was weeks away from adding a classroom wing onto its building.

Two days after the fire, another arson destroyed Mount Zion Church of Christ eight miles away.

Since the arson, the congregation has held services primarily at Richardsville Elementary School.

A payment from the church’s insurance company will finance construction of the new facility, which will be on six acres of land donated by the Raymer family, longtime members of Mount Pleasant.

The congregation had met at the elementary school for its regular service Sunday morning, and gathered enthusiastically for a second time to hold a brief worship service, sing two hymns and watch some of the Raymer family and other members shovel a scoop of dirt to mark the groundbreaking.

“Today is the dawning of a new day in a lot of ways for us,” church minister W. Tom Hall said in a brief address. “We’ll begin to see a lot of action on this site.”

Alliance Corp. of Glasgow received the contract to build the new facility, which will be larger than what was formerly used to house the congregation.

Architectural drawings and a chart comparing the two facilities set up at the edge of the tent Sunday showed that, when finished, the new building will measure 16,000 square feet, will have 10 classrooms, a slightly larger sanctuary, a library/conference room and a fellowship hall able to seat 180, more than twice the capacity of the old fellowship hall.

Altogether, the building will feature one additional classroom and larger gathering places.

“We’re in a great location, and there’s more room for us to expand,” church elder Greg Isenberg said.

Alliance Corp. founder and President Tommy Gumm came to Sunday’s ceremony along with other members of his company.

Gumm, himself a member of South Green Street Church of Christ in Glasgow, said Sunday that Scott Holt will serve as the project manager and estimated construction would take six to eight months.

“We’re hoping to have them in their new building in June of next year, barring any bad weather,” Gumm said. “We look forward to getting started and to having an open house in the not-too-distant future.”