New Prospect Presbyterian Church in South Knoxville is signing off with a sizable act of generosity. The small congregation is donating its church building and about 15 acres of adjoining woods to Ijams Nature Center as it prepares to close, placing a stretch of forest and a ready-made meeting space under the care of the city’s largest urban nature preserve.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the transfer includes the church building and roughly 15 acres near Prospect Road and Sevierville Pike in South Knoxville. The donation follows conversations among Ijams, local church leaders and the congregation about who could best look after the property over the long haul.
Ijams’ footprint and campus plans
Ijams already manages hundreds of acres and a trail network along the Tennessee River, and city documents show the nature center has been rolling out a campus master plan aimed at improving access and facilities. The City of Knoxville notes that the plan emphasizes accessibility upgrades, new visitor amenities and long-term stewardship of natural areas.
Donations have helped Ijams grow before
Philanthropic gifts and partnerships are not new territory for Ijams. The nature center has used donations to expand its programs and preserve nearby woodlands, channeling support into new play areas, better public access and habitat work, as outlined in a recent local corporate-support press release. That track record offers a glimpse of how the new acreage could eventually fold into education, trails and conservation efforts. For recent examples of donors backing campus projects, see the Ijams Nature Center press release.
Why the church made the gift
The congregation at 4920 Prospect Road has opted to close and hand the property to a nonprofit that can preserve the land over time, according to reporting by the Knoxville News Sentinel. The church’s listing with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) confirms its location and contact details at 4920 Prospect Road…