Church to hold dedication service for new sanctuary

Oak Grove Baptist Church in Van Buren will celebrate the completion of its new sanctuary with a dedication and fellowship meal following service Sunday.

Oak Grove completed the second phase of its current building program in December with the completion of its nearly 12,000 square feet sanctuary.

Pastor Joe Walden will speak on the past and present of the church as part of a dedication service Sunday to begin at 10:30 a.m., he said.

Marty Black, a missionary for the Clear Creek Baptist Association will speak about the churchs future, Walden said, to be followed by a hamburger and hot dog fellowship dinner.

Construction of the sanctuary was completed in December 2013, and Oak Grove held its first service there - the Christmas program - Dec. 15, Walden said.

While the building process has been difficult, Walden called the end result a blessing.

The people that come to worship have been very excited to move into a new sanctuary, Walden said.

Oak Grove members have not been able to worship in an actual sanctuary since 1997, after the previous pastor moved church services into the family center with plans to build a new sanctuary, Walden said.

It was not until Walden became pastor in 2003 and led the church into a master building program that things began to happen, he said.

Oak Grove was founded at its current location at 4929 Industrial Park Road by D.W. Chambless in 1883, and was originally a frame building.

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Church to hold dedication service for new sanctuary