DAPHNE — The Church of the Apostles has received donated property and is building a permanent location out of materials from other commercial buildings and houses.

The congregation had been meeting in the Old Mills Appliance Store located on 915 Van Ave. While leasing the building, The First National Bank of Baldwin County bought the property — leaving this church without a place of worship.

“We were growing and looking for land for a permanent home already,” Robert Seawell said.

Church plans had been to vacate the building by August. They received permission from bank representatives to dismantle the structure. Their plan was to use the materials for their new location instead of just having them thrown out, according to Seawell.

The new location is currently landlocked, with only a dirt road leading to it, according to Seawell. The road leading to the property has been designated as McIntyre Street, but has not been made a right-of-way yet. Third Street will also lead to the property but it has not been opened up yet either.

The church’s last service at the Old Mills Appliance Store was held Sunday, April 29.

Volunteers began deconstruction the next day, Seawell said. Church services are currently being held in a strip mall on Daphne Avenue.

The church on Van Avenue was about 4,000 square feet; the new church will be about 5,000 square feet, Mark Hammond, the architect, said.

The 50-foot-by-37-foot red-iron frame is out on the property, and with a little design change, it will serve as the structure for the assembly hall, according to Seawell.

The actual worship area — along with several interior elements — will stay the same.

“We saved everything; the whole metal roof, light fixtures, doors, and windows. We’ve got over 100 recessed can lights, I mean everything. It’s leveled, there’s nothing there but the slab,” Seawell said.

“Rather than see it dilapidated, rotting and thrown in the landfill, we took this material and used it,” he added.

A 60-foot-by-40-foot white tent was donated to the church. The tent, which is on site, is helping to cover materials. A storage unit is holding items such as windows, light fixtures, and hardwood floors, Seawell said.

Besides the main fellowship building, the new design includes three buildings for which two-thirds of the materials have already been gathered: a youth house, an administration studio and a youth assembly building, according to Hammond.

The buildings will be phased in after the sanctuary is built, according to Hammond.

Each building will have a gable above the entrance that came from the church on Van Avenue; the main building will have a new gable modeled from the old church, Hammond said.

Since the project began, several people have contacted the church members to inform them of buildings being torn down that can be used for materials, according to Seawell.

The congregation is working together on the project.

Rusty Davidson, youth minister, is in charge of the deconstruction team, and has high-school and college students helping him, according to Seawell.

The church has hired professionals for tasks like electrical work.

The new church will locate in Montrose, Seawell said.

The goal is to be finished with the new church next May, one year from when the project began, Hammond said.