PALMYRA, MO --
The future looks a little brighter for an area church destroyed by fire almost a year and a half ago.
Today parishioners from the Mission Hill Church and School in Palmyra joined with the community to celebrate and dedicate the completion of the church's new school and multi-purpose center.
The church also broke ground for new edifices.
A teenaged member of the church set fire to the church in February of last year.
Parishioners will worship inside the center's gymnasium until the church is built.
It's also been nearly two years since a tornado damaged the old church.
Pastor Kent Lewis told us the church continues to prosper and move forward even though it's been through so much adversity during the last couple of years.
He said, "With all the adversity that we did experience we're seeing our people really pull together. We've seen the community as basically blanketed us in their love and we certainly appreciate that and we've rejoiced in it."
Pastor Lewis told KHQA members are looking forward to worshiping in the new church.
The multi-purpose center will house Mission Hill Christian Academy grades k-12, the His Kids PreSchool and Daycare, and weekly Sunday School Sessions.