Motion
First Baptist Church, Tallassee
August 26, 2001


Whereas:

  • First Baptist has experienced significant growth; and to keep growing, we must provide more space.
  • We do not have adequate educational space now, especially for preschool and children.
  • We have adults and youth crossing the street to use inadequate and uncomfortable educational space.
  • Our education building is functionally obsolete, and our worship center, though attractive, has limitations.
  • Due to the layout of present facilities, the location of alleys, and to the limited amount of land we could reasonably expect to purchase here, any buildings we could construct would be “compromises” and less than what we would really want.
  • It would cost in excess of $200,000 per acre to purchase additional land at our present location
  • We would have to move or demolish houses on any lots we purchased at an average cost of $8000.
  • Our present building does not have the exits to provide proper traffic flow of people between existing buildings and any new buildings we could construct around them.
  • Our present building does not have halls that are wide enough to properly sustain traffic flow with future growth.
  • There is not room to build a suitable building in the back parking lot. Constructing buildings across the street is far less than ideal and would not be attractive to prospective members.
  • The block on which our worship center is located is only five acres and this would limit our growth potential.
  • Parking is a major factor in church growth and the parking we have is either past full or is such that only our most faithful members are willing to use it.
  • Additional parking would be unnecessarily expensive.
  • While our facilities are somewhat handicapped accessible, they could not be renovated to become handicapped friendly.
  • It would not be cost effective to expand at our present location or to renovate existing buildings.
  • We cannot fulfill our God-given mission at this present location.

    And Whereas:

  • The First Baptist Church owns property on Friendship Road and the amount of this land is more than adequate.
  • This property is located on the growing side of Tallassee.
  • The location of this property is more visible and accessible than our present location.
  • The location of this property allows for ministry expansion beyond what could even be considered in the realm of possibility at the current site, even if the whole block were purchased.

    And Whereas:

  • We really are here to reach the Tallassee area for Jesus Christ and to share God’s grace. We desire to demonstrate a great commitment to the Great Commission.
  • We understand that the church is not a building, but is composed of God’s redeemed people.
  • Our present building arouses our fondest memories, but it is not to us a shrine, and we are not idolaters.
  • Like the generations who went before us, we want to leave a legacy that will be a blessing to our grandchildren and to the unreached people in our community around us. If necessary, we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of growth and for future generations.
  • We sense the leadership of God in this matter, and sense His confirmation in the fact that doors were closed in regard to purchasing property around our present location, and in the way that the door was opened to purchase the new property.
  • Our mission means more to us than our memories.

    • And Whereas:

  • Our church has been involved in a deliberate, clear, fair process, open to the entire church family, as we have explored the possibility of relocation.

    Therefore, the First Baptist Church of Tallassee hereby determines to:

    1. Secure the future of First Baptist Church by relocating facilities to the church’s property located on Friendship Road (County Road 8).

    And that, as part of this process...

    2. A five to seven member Forward Vision Team be created by the Deacons and charged with creating a comprehensive ministry plan to be presented to the church for approval. This report shall be due by December 1.

    3. By February 28, the Forward Vision Team shall secure the services of an architect or firm to develop a Master Site Plan for the new location. They shall work with the firm in developing a long range, multi-phased plan for future facilities at the new location. This includes a “broad stroke” design for future expansion along with detailed focus on first phase. The Master Site Plan shall be based on the Church Ministry Plan and shall be brought to the church for approval.

    For this, the Team shall secure the Services of the Architecture Department of Lifeway Christian Resources (formerly known as the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) – or some other firm with similar experience in working with Southern Baptist churches. These services shall be paid for out of the church building fund.

    4. Along with the Master Site Plan, the Forward Vision Team shall bring to the church, for approval, a plan for transitioning to the new location and for the temporary use of our current facilities toward that end. Final plans for the use of our present facilities (after the relocation process is complete) will not be necessary at that point; however, an eye shall be kept open for uses which are ministry related and appropriate to the building's historic use. This motion does not require that the properties at the present location be sold.

    5. Some design features of the present location shall be considered for incorporation into the Master Site plan. For example, some of the stained glass windows may be, at some point in the building program, incorporated into one of the new buildings.

    6. After the completion of the Master Site Plan, the church shall begin a Capital Funds Campaign to begin raising monies to pay for the first phase of the proposed project. The church shall use the Challenge to Build Program from the State Board of Missions of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. The costs for this program shall come out of the Building Fund. A ten-person Steering Committee shall be appointed by the deacon body to lead this program. The steering committee shall incorporate all members on the present finance sub-committee of the building council who are willing to serve, along with others.

    The Church Program and Building Plans sub-committee shall meet with the Forward Vision Team to communicate their findings and transfer all gathered data to them. After that has been done to the satisfaction of the Forward Vision Team, their work will be complete and they are dismissed with our thanks. Recognizing that they have been at work since 1999, the rest of the Building Council and its Sub-committees are herewith dismissed with our thanks.