Dome-shaped church in Phoenix opens after more than a decade of construction

The dome-shaped church off of Interstate 10 in Phoenix opened Sunday after more than a decade of construction.

Construction began on La Luz del Mundo, or The Light of the World in English, in October 2008 and has been completed exclusively by volunteers.

For years, people have questioned what the building south of Interstate 10 near 16th Avenue is and why it was taking so long to be completed. They wondered if it was an observatory.

One of the reasons completing the church took so long was the 2008 recession caused a slowdown in construction, according to the church spokesman for Arizona, Isaias Campos Jr.

The church marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday morning, followed by a 2-hour service in Spanish, focused on consecrating the temple. Campos said that the capacity of the new temple is 4,700, the majority of which was full during the ceremony.

The silver dome-shaped temple features many sculptures not found anywhere else in the world made specifically for the Phoenix site, Campos said.

The white interior of the dome is all aimed toward the golden angel wings that sit behind the podium. The main floor, overlooked by a balcony, is detailed with symbolism, like the blue pillars made up of smaller squares that are supposed to represent individual people's prayers, Campos said.

The upper part of the dome has several stained-glass windows. Candle sculptures line the lower part of the dome, like those on the menorah described in the bible, Campos said.

The church is holding ceremonies and events through the week, culminating in a final ceremony in Glendale on Friday. Campos said they expect to have 10,000 different people come through during the week.

For Campos, having both members from other branches of the church and the Phoenix community present was important.

"We're still the church of the community," Campos said.

The religion, based in Protestantism, started in 1926 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and is now spreading throughout the United States.

The church, however, has been the subject of controversy since sex-crime charges have been brought against the church's leader.

In June, the California Department of Justice charged the "Apostle" Naasón Joaquín García, 50, with multiple felony counts, including human trafficking, production of child pornography and forcible rape of a minor in Los Angeles County between 2015 and 2018.

The church has purchased land in the Cave Creek area and plans to open another construction there in the future, Campos said.

Republic reporters Uriel J. Garcia and Taylor Seely contributed to this story. Reach the reporter at James.Carr@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @JamestheCarr.