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The Fellowship Evangelical Free
Church's first congregation in the Knoxville area had a building program
with a number of unique requirements. The sixteen-acre site was master
planned to provide for a sanctuary, educational spaces for children and
youth groups, administrative areas and community groups (the term used
to describe large adult classes or departments). The design criteria included the
fundamental precept of the congregation: the mission of the church is
to minister to the community. The building then becomes the meeting place
to define the tasks for outreach. The congregation departs for that work
after identifying those tasks. The architecture then becomes an
expression of multi - purpose utilitarian spaces, with an emphasis on
low maintenance and economical materials. The large tower facing the street
is the one element that identifies the nature of the building. The church also chose to function
as their own building contractor. They contracted in some instances with
major subcontractors; hired certain laborers directly; and used volunteer
labor as well. These cost-saving methods, the architectural design, and
the particular choice of materials allowed the congregation to build a
large amount of space at a relatively inexpensive price.
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