Big Controversy Brewing Over Proposed Bowie Megachurch: Report

BOWIE, MD --The Redeemed Christian Church of God/Victory Temple wants to build a two-story, 60,000-square-foot church just outside of Bowie's city limits, but locals are not happy about the idea.

The Capital Gazette reports that the church wants to build a new facility that can hold between 1,200 and 2,000 people at the corner of Church Road and Mount Oak Road because they have outgrown their old building on Old Annapolis Road.

But locals are worried about traffic, as well as how the new facility would impact property values, infrastructure, and the water and sewer system, according to the report.

Specifically, the report notes that the church could produce an estimated 11,520 gallons of wastewater flow per day, which is quite a lot for a residential area. And officials are concerned at such a large facility on a small road like Church Road.

A public hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 16 at the county administration building located at 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive in Upper Marlboro. More hearings are likely before the church is approved.