NEW PORTLAND — It’s been a summer of labor for the congregation of the Western Mountains Baptist Church and it’s ready to hold its first service Sunday in its newly built church on Route 27 near the Kingfield town line.

After years of toting a pulpit and musical equipment into the Kingfield Elementary School on Sunday mornings for worship, the congregation pooled their skills working nights and weekends to create a permanent home for the church.

They weren’t alone. More than 200 volunteers from all over the United States used vacation time to help build the 8,600-square-foot church. The first group, Mobile Baptists, arrived in June. Since then four other groups have come to help.

“It’s gone pretty fast. Faster than expected. God made everything fall in place. People were brought in … it was unbelievable,” said Jean Boucher, chairman of the church’s design committee and the electrician for the project.

One contractor from Connecticut came with a group for a week, then went home and came back. He did most of the woodwork on the front of the stage and helped with door cabinets, Boucher said. To have someone with that talent and experience was such a help, he said.

While outside help made it easier, the amount of skill and expertise within the congregation itself stood out for member Crystal Fitch.

People with experience as plumbers, contractors, interior designers, painters and electricians helped raise the church building, Boucher said.

After contacting Mobile Baptists, other groups from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia sought to help, he said.

The local church prepared meals for the first day the groups arrived but then they cooked for themselves, said Melanie Meldrum, the head coordinator of meals for the work crews. It was only one of her several jobs.

The crews not only worked and gave to the new church but wanted to buy supplies locally from Kingfield area stores, she said.

Many in the approximately 100-member congregation attended services at Farmington Baptist, said church treasurer Kathy McClure as she provided a tour of the new building.  Seven years ago they decided to hold a second service in  Kingfield, meeting first in a private home, then in the school, moving to the superintendent’s office and Webster Hall in the summer when the school floors were being done, she said.

It was church in a box, Pastor Tom Dubois said in June, referring to the trailer where the pulpit and church materials are stored throughout the week.

Now the new modern structure with radiant heat offers a spacious worship area, several classrooms for Sunday school, offices and a kitchen, said Pam Bare, who worked on the interior design, something she does for a living.

There are a few projects left to finish. The chairs for the sanctuary won’t arrive until next week. The congregation has a large cleanup day planned for Saturday and will continue working with plans for an open house on Oct. 8.

In any type of construction, issues come up but the ones experienced during this construction all served a purpose, Boucher said.

“When issues came up, they came up for a reason. They brought light on something we had overlooked or not thought about,” he said.

Sunday’s service begins at 10 a.m. and follows Sunday school for all ages at 9 a.m. All are welcome, Boucher added.

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