Kirk Franklin Puts Pastor ON BLAST During Church Celebration

From Empty Store to House of Worship: The Extraordinary Transformation of a Former Kohl’s in Roswell

An empty big-box store in a metro Atlanta neighborhood has been given an extraordinary second life.

Once filled with clothing, shoes, shoppers, and retail displays, the former Kohl’s department store on Long Hollow Bridge Road in Roswell is now home to Eagles Nest Church—a transformation representing a $28 million investment and a bold vision for the future.

For Susan Hayes, the transformation carries an especially personal meaning.

Hayes worked inside the Kohl’s location for 14 years and remembers the building as a bustling department store.

She can still picture where the shoe department once stood.

The store closed in 2016, leaving behind a large commercial space whose future was uncertain.

Now, the same building has been completely remodeled into a modern center for worship, community gatherings, and events.

Hayes’ emotional reaction captured the significance of the change.

Walking through the renovated facility, she described feeling such peace that she was nearly brought to tears.

The familiar walls had been transformed into something almost unrecognizable.

At the center of the project is Pastor Lee Jenkins, who leads Eagles Nest Church alongside his wife.

After 15 years in ministry, the purchase represents the church’s first major property acquisition.

Yet Jenkins did not view the opportunity simply as a chance to obtain a larger sanctuary.

He saw something much bigger.

Rather than purchasing property solely for church services, Jenkins envisioned an event and community center that would happen to be owned by a church.

The new facility is designed to host concerts, weddings, community events, and worship experiences.

On Sundays, the sanctuary will accommodate approximately 1,000 people.

During the week, the space can function as a flexible event venue featuring a stage and large LED screens.

But the ambitions do not stop there.

Jenkins has expressed interest in bringing a restaurant onto the property and eventually attracting other businesses.

A daycare and event center are already part of the broader vision, but they are intended to be only the beginning.

The goal is to make the development a community asset rather than an isolated church campus.

That philosophy gives the project a different character from a traditional church construction effort.

Jenkins sees the redevelopment as a revitalization initiative—one capable of breathing new life into a property that had sat without its former purpose since the Kohl’s closure.

The celebration surrounding the opening reflected that sense of accomplishment.

Friends, church members, and ministry leaders gathered to recognize not only the new building but also the faith and determination that made it possible.

Among those offering congratulations was a longtime friend and ministry colleague who brought both encouragement and comedy to the occasion.

The speaker reflected on Jenkins’ leadership and described him as an extraordinary man, praising him and his family while celebrating the congregation’s new home.

But then came a story that instantly shifted the mood.

Years earlier, Jenkins had traveled to Texas to preach.

In the rush of preparing for the trip, he apparently packed almost everything except one essential item: underwear.

To make matters worse, he reportedly left his wallet behind.

His friend came to the rescue with $12 so Jenkins could purchase the necessary clothing before preaching.

Years later, the debt remained a source of playful controversy.

During the celebration, the friend jokingly asked whether the new church building meant Jenkins might finally be financially capable of repaying that long-standing $12 debt.

The congregation was reminded that the pastor now had a beautiful new facility—and, presumably, his own supply of underwear.

The story produced laughter while revealing the warmth of the friendship between the two ministers.

Jenkins later acknowledged the embarrassing tale with humor, explaining that he had flown to Texas to preach, packed everything except his underwear, then discovered that his wallet had also been left behind.

What could have been an awkward memory had become an enduring inside joke between friends.

Beneath the laughter, however, the celebration carried a much deeper message about faith.

The visiting minister spoke about Jenkins’ vision and the importance of believing in possibilities that cannot yet be seen.

He shared his own ministry journey, recalling how Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship began in 1976 with only 10 people gathered in a living room and a vision to proclaim God’s Word, make disciples, and advance God’s kingdom.

Over the years, that small beginning grew into a massive ministry campus, demonstrating what can happen when a vision is pursued with faith and determination.

That personal history gave special weight to his encouragement for Eagles Nest.

He reminded the congregation that faith requires stepping beyond what is immediately visible.

If everything were already obvious and guaranteed, there would be little need for faith.

For Jenkins and Eagles Nest, purchasing and transforming 16 acres represented precisely that kind of step.

The message also addressed the uncertainty of the present era.

Turbulent and confusing times, the speaker argued, can create unusual opportunities because people desperately need clarity and direction.

A church capable of providing that clarity through Scripture, discipleship, and the daily example of its members can potentially influence far more than those who walk through its doors on Sunday.

That vision aligns closely with what Jenkins hopes the new property will become.

The building is not simply a replacement for a former retail store.

It represents an attempt to create a gathering place where worship, business, entertainment, childcare, community life, and service can coexist.

The former Kohl’s may have closed its doors years ago, but the building itself has been given a new purpose.

For the people who remember the store, the transformation is striking.

For the congregation, it marks a long-awaited home.

And for Jenkins, it represents the first major chapter in a much larger vision.

The $28 million redevelopment may therefore be only the beginning.

If the pastor’s plans become reality, the property could evolve into a significant community destination—one that demonstrates how an abandoned or underused commercial space can be reinvented around a new mission.

And perhaps that is the most remarkable part of the story: a place once designed to sell products has become a place designed to bring people together.

With its sanctuary, event facilities, daycare plans, potential restaurants, and ambitions for additional businesses, Eagles Nest Church is attempting something considerably broader than simply filling an empty building.

It is attempting to transform the building—and potentially the surrounding community—with faith, vision, and a willingness to take a risk.

And somewhere in the middle of that enormous $28 million transformation, a forgotten $12 pair of underwear somehow became part of the celebration too.