By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Plans for a new Gardendale First Baptist Church are moving right along, according to church leaders.

Pastor Kevin Hamm said 95 percent of the construction documents were completed on Friday and officials will now await a guaranteed building price.

The estimated cost of the 104,000 square foot building is about $26 million.

Hamm, who first came to the church two and half years ago, said that most congregation members understand the need and cost of the project, despite the ambitious scope and multimillion dollar price tag.

A self-described fan of college sports, Hamm compared it to the millions spent on improvements at facilities at Alabama and Auburn, which only get used a fraction as much as the church in a year’s time.

“It was interesting to learn that Alabama spent $50 million to expand their football stadium, which they’ll use about six or seven times this year,” he said. “Auburn is building a new basketball arena for $60 million which they’ll use for about 18 to 20 home games a year.”

He said the church would be used at least 150 times throughout a year, including every Sunday, Wednesday and for other special circumstances.

Last Wednesday, the church welcomed its congregation and members of the community to a ground-breaking ceremony at the site on Mt. Olive Road, adjacent to the Upward athletic complex.

Community Outreach Minister Phil Cronin said about 1,000 people attended the events, which featured food, rides and a rock-climbing wall.

“There’s a lot of excitement about it,” he said of the new church construction. “This project has been a long time coming.”

At the ground-breaking, members of the congregation also came together at the site of the new building, prayed together, sang, joined hands and listened to some words from Hamm.

In a symbolic gesture, Hamm also buried a Bible at the location of where the future church’s pulpit will be.

“That was so the Bible could be in the foundation of the building,” he said. “We’ll be standing on the Word of God.”

He said the 140 acres the church will be built on was a “miracle from God,” and said expanding the church is necessary to continue the work of the church.

“When the home base is strong, everything else is strong,” he said. “When we’re able to reach more people, everything we do is greater. When we strengthen the core, everything else we do will become strong. We can only be so strong in this [current] building.”

Currently, the church offers three Sunday morning worship services — 8, 9:30 and and 11 a.m. — to accommodate the 3,500 who attend.

Ham said the new building will have seating for 2,700, reducing the number of services to just two at 9 and 10:45 a.m. Bible fellowship classes would tentatively be held at 7:45, 9 and 10:45 a.m.

Additionally, the ground floor of the building will house educational space and music and media suites. Ham said the church’s current location at 940 Main Street will also be used for educational purposes until other phases of the new church are built.

Another aspect of the church will include a 125-foot cross that can be seen from Interstate 65, south of the Mt. Olive Road exit. The cross will stay lighted at night.

Once all the construction is completed, the church will sell the old location to help offset construction expenses.

“The reality is, the new building is just a tool,” Hamm said. “We’re not trying to build an empire. We have to have a gathering spot and do the ministry that God has called us to do. The best is yet to come.”