Second Baptist Church grows in size and spirit

New addition and expanded community outreach as church marks 125th anniversary

BY KENNYWALTER

Staff Writer

Founded 125 years ago, the Second Baptist Church in Long Branch continues to expand both the church facility and its community outreach programs. PHOTO BY NICOLE ANTONUCCI Rooted in humble beginnings 125 years ago, the Second Baptist Church will dedicate a multimillion-dollar expansion on April 14 that includes an expanded sanctuary and community outreach.

The 15,000-square-foot addition to the church houses a 700-seat sanctuary, 12 classrooms, a 300- seat banquet hall and extra office space.

According to Chanta Jackson, who serves as church treasurer and project manager for the expansion, there will be a ceremony on April 14 to officially open the expanded facility.

Jackson, who has been affiliated with the church since 1968, described how the church has grown over the past 125 years.

The physical structure has expanded greatly during that period, she said. The addition alone is an additional 10,000 square feet since 1968.

Some of the Second Baptist Church members honored for more than 35 years of continuous service to the church. The awards were presented by the Rev. Aaron N. Gibson Sr., pastor, and Deacon Rodney Morris on March 10. PHOTO BY CHANTA L. JACKSON We also put on the educational wing in the 1970s and we expanded the sanctuary, she added. This is the fourth expansion that I have seen.

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Second Baptist Church grows in size and spirit

By Jennifer Jiggetts The Virginian-Pilot March 28, 2012

VIRGINIA BEACH

At times it felt like a church service - nearly 30 religious leaders called on God for his blessing, guidance and strength.

At times, it felt like a protest - folks held signs that read: "This is about religious freedom!"

Either way, the message was the same.

Nearly 250 people packed the sanctuary at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Tuesday morning to support the church in a land dispute with city officials.

Church leaders say the event was intended to raise awareness about their plight.

Emmanuel Episcopal, a 170-year-old institution in Kempsville, has been fighting with city leaders over a plan that will relocate the intersection of Princess Anne and Kempsville roads.

Before renovating their parish hall and building a preschool, church leaders said, they asked city officials about 12 years ago if there were plans to work on the intersection. They said they were told no and proceeded with the $2 million school construction.

Two weeks after the church dedicated the school, the city announced plans to realign the intersection, including taking a half-acre of the church's property. When the project is finished, the six-lane road will be 70 feet from the church's preschool. Church members say that threatens students' safety and the church's long-term survival.

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Scores protest for church in Virginia Beach dispute

STATE COLLEGE A local church will get an expedited answer to its request to hook up to the public sewer in Harris Township, after a vote Monday night by Centre Region elected officials.

The Council of Governments General Forum voted 4-2 to allow Calvary Baptist Church to begin, out of sequence, the process of seeking approval to receive public sewer service at a new development planned for the churchs Harvest Fields site near the Boalsburg Technology Park.

The COG typically hears such requests, required when a development will exist outside the regions boundary for sewer service, in February and September. While the process to determine the impact of extending the sewer line can begin at another time in an emergency, the process does not define emergency.

Regional planning Director Jim May said the church developers want to begin construction this year.

Paul Rittenhouse, of Harris Township, explained that the church first submitted the request a year ago, but resubmitted based on various township requests. The home township must approve the sewer extension before it advances to the COG.

I think thats the urgency, Rittenhouse said of the initial delay.

College, Halfmoon, Harris and Patton townships approved an expedited process. Ferguson opposed, and State College officials tied, resulting in a no vote. Some officials said allowing the

impact process to take place outside the agreed-upon timeline will become overly burdensome for staff.

As for this project, I think its unfortunate that the developers have been delayed for a number of reasons, said Cathy Dauler, of State College. But I also think its important that we stick with the plan we have now.

Jeff Luck, of Patton Township, said that, when the process was initially developed, officials chose to review projects twice a year because they tend to be rather lengthy and contentious. He suggested reconsidering the entire process.

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Centre Region COG puts church request to extend growth boundary on fast track

03/26/2012 16:37 INDONESIA Authorities in Riau cancel building permits for Catholic church already under construction by Mathias Hariyadi The building site was seized on 21 March, and is now surrounded with barbed wire. For Catholics, it is a patent violation of religious freedom since the building committee had all the right papers. Some local Muslim groups claim that signatures were falsified. The local government said it wants to use the site for an agricultural research centre.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Indonesian Catholics are dismayed by the decision of Tokan Hulu Regency (Riau Province) to cancel the building permits for St Ignatius church. The site is now surrounded with barbed wire after it was seized on 21 March. Local Catholics see the decision as a patent violation of the principle of religious freedom, adding that their application to build the church was done by the book. Local authorities have countered that the site will be used for other purposes and that the local Muslim community no longer accepts the presence of a Christian place of worship

On 21 March, dozens of public officials from Rokan Hulu regency invaded the site where the St Ignatius Catholic Church was under construction, in the village of Sukamaju, Rambah Sub district, causing consternation among construction workers and parishioners, who quickly produced the right papers and permits.

In Indonesia, a building permit (Izin Mendirikan Bangunan) is needed for any construction. In case of Christian places of worship, 60 signatures from local Muslim residents are also required.

The St Ignatius Catholic Church was being built in Riau Province, even though it is part of Padang Diocese, in West Sumatra Province.

Fr Kus Aliandu Pr, the bishop's secretary, confirmed that the "building committee had all the right papers," plus "the signatures of 90 local Catholics and 60 non-Christians." On 23 November 2010, the authorities gave construction the green light and the first brick was laid on 19 December 2011.

When the committee could not complete construction within the allotted time of five months, it applied for an extension on 6 August 2011. However, it received a negative answer on 2 January this year.

Now the authorities say the site where the church is under construction is slated for an agricultural research centre.

On 5 October 2011, some Muslim groups raised doubts about the authenticity of some of documents, claiming that some are fakes and that some signatures were falsified.

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03/26/2012 16:37 INDONESIA Authorities in Riau cancel building permits for Catholic church already under construction

By STEVE EIGHINGER Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Union United Methodist Church is receiving a facelift.

"This is the most comprehensive renovation since the church was built in the late 1950s," said the Rev. Bob Morwell, who has been pastor of the church at 1101 State for more than 11 years.

Morwell, who came to Quincy after pastoring a church in Pittsfield, said a bequest will cover the $110,000 project, which is tentatively expected to be completed by late April.

"At that time, we will be rededicating the church," Morwell said.

One of the principal focuses of the project is the replacement of most of the church's sizable windows -- about 100 of them -- that will accent quite a bit of exterior work on the facility. Lawrence Construction of Quincy is the primary contractor on the project.

"We're replacing the old windows with more energy-efficient models," Morwell said.

Much of the work involving the replacement of windows has been in the education wing and office areas.

While the project has been running smoothly for several weeks, there was one hiccup along the way.

"The wrong kind of windows came in for one part of the building, so that delayed things a little, but work was able to continue in other areas," Morwell said.

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Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, SportsUnion United Methodist Church getting big facelift

KLONDIKE - Church services brought new meaning this Sunday for parishioners at a small Oconto County church. A Tuesday night fire ravaged their place of worship.

The fire happened at the Klondike Community Church. That's near the town of Coleman in Oconto County.

Parishioners at the Klondike Community Church joined hands in prayer in a tent on the church property, grateful the shell of their nearly 100 year old structure is still standing.

"I think first of all, it was shock, thinking our church? It couldn't be our church," said Theresa Schoud, whose family bought the vacant church building in 2010.

Local fire crews say flames broke out in the south east corner of the small country church Tuesday night.

"Within seconds it went across the whole attic and it came out of the bell tower," said Brazeau Volunteer Fire Chief John Fetterly.

Yet, pews inside the church remain nearly untouched. The wood altar still stands. And this cross, the very symbol of their faith, has come to stand for even more.

"Underneath the tarnish of that cross and the smoke and what had occurred outside, that cross, it's still strong and it still stands," said Pastor Mark Kostreva.

With all the damage the fire has left behind, the owners of the church say they can't even put a monetary value on how much the renovations could cost. However, they say the true value of this church doesn't lie in the building. It lies in the people.

"Everybody was so saddened. And then, it turned around that everybody is ready to move on," said Schout.

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Small church rallies after fire

When Christ the King Lutheran Church was built, expansion was anticipated. The congregation broke ground Sunday to fulfill that vision.

The original plans of the building included a footprint on both wings for expansion, said the Rev. Dani Jo Ninke. For instance, that is why there is not a brick facade on the south edge. They had planned to expand.

Work to add on to the North American Lutheran Church located at 305 West 25th Street is expected to get under way this week. The 2,280-foot expansion will include classroom and youth room space. Parking lot work is also planned.

The estimated cost of the project is approximately $160,000, according to Ninke. The congregation hopes it will be complete by the fall.

We need to accommodate the activity that occurs here and the growth of our congregation, Ninke said. Were bursting at the seams.

After services late Sunday morning, dozens of members of the congregation gathered near the churchs south lawn for a groundbreaking ceremony. After some prayers, various church members took a shovel to turn some dirt.

He said financial and spiritual support from the congregation of about 375 people was overwhelming from the start.

It actually kind of surprised me how quickly it came together, Wade stated.

At the churchs annual meeting in January, Ninke said a straw vote found there was a soft commitment for about two-thirds of the cost of the project.

That told us that we could go ahead with it, she said.

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Yankton’s Christ The King Church Begins Expansion

Lookout Mountain resident Jen Story holds her daughter, Ella, 2, recently as they look across a road at Activation Ministry International, which has received Jefferson County approval to greatly expand the church. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

Development pressures on Lookout Mountain might make Buffalo Bill turn over in his grave if there were room.

The view from the historic gravesite of Old West celebrity William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, though still magnificent, is screened by transmission towers. Neighbors fought construction of a 730-foot digital TV tower for almost a decade and blocked it until an act of Congress in 2006 overturned the short-lived victory.

Now, they've fought and lost an eight-month battle to prevent another nonhistoric, nonresidential development that they believe will further alter the character of their home and lead to dangerous traffic congestion on Lookout Mountain Road.

Activation Ministry International, a medium-size church of 300 to 400 people, won Jefferson County's final approval March 13 for a special-use permit to expand its 9,168-square-foot church into a regional Christian ministry and mission center of 30,000 square feet with 3 or 4 acres of parking.

Yet neighbors aren't giving up.

"This is about fear," resident Diane Lange said of the neighborhood protest and recent formation of Lookout Mountain Residents United. "This is about safety."

The group plans to explore appeals and legal options. And, as spokeswoman Stephanie Graf said, the group will look out for the next big development that tries to come down the road.

Lookout Mountain is one section of the 40-mile Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway. It winds through hillside subdivisions to tourist attractions such as Boettcher Mansion, Lookout Mountain Nature Center and the nationally acclaimed Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave.

The iconic route was a stage in the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge last year and will be part of the race again this year.

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Residents on Lookout Mountain, Colorado, fighting church's plan to triple in size

The choir of Dunns Creek Baptist Church sings Saturday during the groundbreaking for the new church building on See Off Mountain Road in Brevard. In March 2011, the original church was destroyed in a fire, though the cause remains undetermined.

BREVARD-- The sweet sounds of the congregation and guests singing Amazing Grace on Saturday at the groundbreaking for Dunns Creek Baptist Church celebrated the churchs moving forward after a devastating fire almost exactly a year ago.

Though the blaze destroyed the historic building on See Off Mountain Road, it did not take the congregations faith, Pastor Michael Rogers said. And the hymn reflected this feelings about the groundbreaking.

Were excited. Were extremely excited, he said. Amazed. Thats the word. God has put this thing in motion. Im astonished another word for amazed not by how its happened, but how God is making this happen.

The congregation continues to raise funds to rebuild. Rogers said the building will cost around $285,000 and will be completed by October. He added they need to raise about $90,000 more.

Firefighters from four counties had battled the fire last year. The fire destroyed the back of the 140-year-old church, and the sanctuary sustained water damage. The cause of the fire was never officially determined, Rogers said.

The fire happened a year ago on March 23, Rogers said. Were not looking back to the fire but towards the future to what God want us to be a good church.

Rogers said a good church is defined as a Christ-centered church with a congregation thats impacting its local community. Rogers first preached at the church in November and was elected officially as pastor in February.

He said when he first started, there were 12 to 14 congregation members regularly attending services at the community building next to the church site. Now, the congregation is around 35.

They didnt even have a pastor here when the fire occurred, Rogers said.

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Church breaks ground, looks forward

Posted: Sunday, March 25, 2012 2:02 pm | Updated: 2:07 pm, Fri Mar 23, 2012.

Work is under way to restore the Chestertown Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Kent Street, which was damaged by fire Feb. 21.

Kevin McDaniel, pastor of the church, said on Monday that demolition of "the burned stuff" was nearly complete. Damaged materials, including the flooring and subflooring of the sanctuary, have been removed from the building. The interior is being dried out, and the contractors are dealing with water damage and mold.

The next step, McDaniel said, is removal and replacement of the roof, which he expected to take place in about a week. He said the main contractor, Paul Davis Restoration, will be using a local subcontractor for the trusses, at the church's request. "We want to include as many local services and contractors as possible" in the work, he said, to support local workers and keep money in the community.

McDaniel offered a "guess-timation" of about eight months for the work to be completed, depending on the many variables that affect construction work. The repairs will include a complete updating of the electrical work; he said the church's insurance policy covers bringing it up to code. Also, he said, this will be an opportunity to replace the building's "old beast" of a heating plant.

Structurally, the church's walls survived the fire in good shape. McDaniel said they were inspected twice, the second time by an inspector who worked on the Pentagon after the Sept. 11 attack on that building. "The walls are fine," he said.

McDaniel said once the building is ready for use, the congregation plans a "grand reopening and thanks to the community." He said he was "overwhelmed by the good people and the good community" in their response to the church's need.

He said the church had received "lots of good offers" of alternate sites to hold services while the building is being repaired. After consideration, the congregation elected to use its church school building in Sudlersville, in part because the rent money can help the school.

McDaniel said the community's donations to help with rebuilding had been "great," but more are always welcome. Donations may be sent to the Chestertown Church Rebuilding Fund, Chesapeake Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, 6600 Martin Road, Columbia MD 21044. For more information, call 410-995-1910 or see http://www.ccos da.org.

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Chestertown church focuses on rebuilding