New Braunfels' Oakwood Baptist Church broke ground on a new 52,000-square-foot worship center in November, according to a
Facebook post.
The detailsThe new $28 million worship center will provide the additional space needed by the church, which currently has three services and uses overflow space for two of them, Oakwood Pastor Rusty Rice said.
The center will be located within the original complex, Northeast of the main church building. The construction will yield a new worship center, additional parking and infrastructure improvements. The new center is expected to open around Easter 2027, Rice said.
Ethan Thomas joined Community Impact in October 2025 as the New Braunfels General Assignments Reporter. Previously, Ethan worked for two years in television news in El Paso, TX. Ethan graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Texas at El Paso in May 2023. After graduation, Ethan completed a 10-day editing bootcamp at UT-Austin before interning at the Texas Tribune as a Copy Editing Fellow. Ethan hopes to make his mark in the New Braunfels community by covering stories that give a voice to those who need it the most. When he is not reporting, Ethan is an avid photographer, writer, karaoke-er and musician.
Have any news tips or story ideas? Email Ethan at ethomas@communityimpact.com
