The first national tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. In 1945, Mason dedicated Mason Temple in Memphis as the church's national meeting site. Built in the 1940s during World War II, the nearly 4000-seat building was the largest church auditorium of any African-American religious group in the United States. After his death, Mason was entombed there, the only person so honored. Mason Temple remained the site of the International Holy Convocation until the mid-1970s, when the number of delegates far exceeded its capacity. Many COGIC members would refer to their preparation to attend the annual COGIC Holy Convocation as getting ready for "Jerusalem", with Mason Temple the special destination.