Neuquén abre una puerta a 4.000 feligreses con una nueva sedeIdeally para

La transformación begins on a corner of J. J. Lastra 3100, where the new headquarters of the Iglesia Bautista Jesús es Rey rises opposite the Estación Terminal de Ómnibus de Neuquén. After fifteen years of work, the congregation is preparing an inauguration that will extend through Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1, with a program that also includes the transition of Sunday worship from the historic temple on Roca 445 to the new auditorium.

The building was designed for a maximum of 4,000 seated attendees, although the first stage will make 2,500 places available. Its hemicycle-shaped interior seeks to bring those present closer to the stage, while the absence of images, portraits and golden ornaments gives the auditorium a sober and functional appearance. A pair of metal beams, each measuring 55 meters in length and five meters in height, supports the curved roof.

Fifteen years to open the doors

The project began with the acquisition of the property in 2009, and the cornerstone was laid in 2012. The completed construction covers approximately 6,600 square meters, including the 2,500-square-meter auditorium. The entire effort was financed with offerings from the congregation, without bank loans.

For the congregation, the new headquarters represents both continuity and renewal. Its Sunday meetings have regularly gathered around 2,000 people, who will now be received in the larger auditorium as soon as the inauguration is complete. The exact schedule for the October 31 events is still pending confirmation, while the governor of Neuquén, Rolando Figueroa, and the mayor, Mariano Gaido, are among the authorities invited.

The history of Jesús es Rey in the region extends beyond the building itself. Next year the congregation will celebrate 90 years as an organized church, although its presence in Neuquén dates back more than a century. AMEN, the mutual organization that grew out of its trajectory and still administers a school, also operated an ambulance service for years.

The opening also closes a chapter at the temple on Roca 445, where the congregation held its last service on October 4. For those who have shared that space over the years, the move to J. J. Lastra opens a new stage, but it does so with a familiar objective: welcome the community and maintain its Sunday worship. Now the expectation is centered on the inaugural program and the first celebrations in a home built through the sustained effort of its members.