Three months after the demolition of the old sanctuary for Rural Shade Baptist Church in Tarkington, church members on Sunday, June 5, celebrated the groundbreaking of a new multi-purpose building that will serve as both a headquarters for the church’s food bank and a gathering place for church and community events.
The 50 X 100 square-foot metal building on a concrete slab is being constructed by Cleveland Supply on the same site as the old sanctuary. The building will have 20-foot eave heights with a 20 X 25-foot portico, a covered entryway that will make food distribution easier and protect people from the elements.
The cost of the building is roughly $400,000, which is being raised through fundraisers and matching donations.
“We have a fundraiser going on right now,” said Brenda Purswell, chairperson of the Rural Shade Baptist Church’s Building Committee. “We have two matching donors who will put in $25,000 when we reach the $25,000 match. Then we have another $50,000 matching donor who will kick in at that point when we have $75,000.”
While they still have a lot of fundraising ahead of them, church members hope to have the building ready by homecoming services in October.
“We are hoping to use the building as a gym and for other activities, and for the community to use for events. It will give us a lot of room,” Purswell said.
The new building is the first of a two-phase project. The second phase involves tearing down the church’s old fellowship hall kitchen and replacing it with a more modern structure that will be attached to the multi-purpose building.
At this time, Rural Shade Baptist Church is between pastors. Purswell said an interim pastor is filling in until a new pastor is picked.