Plymouth community speaks out after Eagle Brook Church buys land for future site

Eagle Brook Church, a non-denominational megachurch based in Minnesota, is looking to build a new church in Plymouth, but some residents are pushing back.

On Aug. 28, Eagle Brook announced they had purchased a plot of farmland on Chankahda Trail, which is north of the Meadow Ridge Elementary School.

A Change.org petition from Sept. 2 titled NO Eaglebrook Mega Church in Plymouth shows some community members don’t want a church in their neighborhood. The petition added that Eagle Brook has tried to build churches in Corcoran and Minnetonka/Wayzata but was stopped due to the city or pushback from the community.

The church said they hope to work with the City of Plymouth to garner approval for construction, which officials hope to begin in early 2024 with a projected finish in mid-to-late 2025.

“Since we first established this temporary campus five years ago, attendance has grown 32%,” said Jason Strand, Senior Pastor of Eagle Brook Church. “We are excited to have a permanent campus so we can continue serving this community and helping people grow in their faith. We will share more information with the community as the process moves forward.”

Meanwhile, the author of the petition said, “The traffic, environmental, and quality of life impacts to residents is immeasurable (not to mention the financial impact due to the immediate devaluation of surrounding homes). Other EBC locations typically have more than capacity attendance and continuous issues with traffic congestion”

Eagle Brook has invited neighbors to learn more at an upcoming community meeting it is hosting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Wayzata High School.