Charles E. Moore came for a meeting in July of 1997 and met with the men of the congregation about the possibility of his moving back to Berea. After much consideration, Moore and his wife, LaJeania, decided to return to Berea and did so on December 7, 1997. Attendance was at that time in the 40's and the only Bible class was an auditorium class. The attendance has now grown to approximately 100, and more. We also have classes that are available for all ages.
The church in Berea soon began to have parking problems and the classrooms were unsuitable for Bible classes, being located in the basement, which, at times, was damp. Thus, we set out to find some suitable property on which to build a new meeting house. The property located at John and Holly Streets had served the congregation well, but was only one-half acre, on which our building and a small parking lot was located. There was no place for expansion and every service was interrupted by a train or trains. The classrooms were unsuitable for effectively teaching the Bible and there were some sad memories that seemed to dwell with this building. These things motivated the congregation to seek a new location.
In February of 2,000 we were able to purchase six acres at 357 North Dogwood Drive, which is just one-half mile from exit 76 of Interstate 75. The property is located within the city limits and will provide the church with amble space for many years to come. The new building has an auditorium that will seat 250 people, classrooms for teaching the precious Word of God, a nursery, utility room and office. We also have a basement, which is not complete at this time, but will be used for classrooms and offices as our growth necessitates. The steeple that will go on our new building is being built by one of our members, Larry R. Combs. He has been assisted by his dad, Winfred Combs, both of whom are members of the Berea church, along with their families. [Note: On October 15, 2001 we were saddened at the death of Winfred, as he is sorely missed by his family and the church]. The water line to our building was dug and put in place by another of our members, Larry L. Combs. Landscaping the property will be done by Darrell Maggard, also a member of the Berea church of Christ. Some of the chairs for the pre-schoolers were refinished and rewebbed by Ruth Taylor. There have many in the congregation who have devoted time and effort to the completion of our building. Perhaps, it would be best described as a congregational effort!
The old building at 104 John Street, was sold in August of 2000 and from that time the church met at the Silver Creek Elementary School. Four of our members are employed in that school system: Dale and Tina Carter, Jane Brandenburg and Tammy DeBord. When I talked to the principal about the use of the school building, he said to me, "If your church is made up of members like the ones we have here, you have a great church."
While meeting at Silver Creek, a new principal was hired, Lisa Hutson. Lisa came to Berea as a member of the church of Christ and immediately was a great encouragement to the congregation, along with her children: Matthew, Nathan and Sara, and her grandmother, Mauda Ivey. The school was an excellent facility in which to meet and the officials were very cooperative and kind to us in every way. Our time between the selling of our old building and the completion of our new building, was a very pleasant experience, because of the people at Silver Creek.
Ground-Breaking was held on October 4, 2000. The congregation hired one of their own members, Calvin Bailey, to serve as the contractor for the new building. After getting the foundation in place, Calvin and his wife, Robin, moved to Colorado where they both are now employed in a work they enjoy.
Calvin's dad, Pascal Bailey, also a building contractor, agreed to complete the building for the church. Pascal and his wife, Wanda, are also members of the Berea church of Christ. This writer had the privilege of baptizing both Pascal and Wanda back in the 1970's. They are faithful and dedicated members of the body of Christ. Pascal has done a superb job in building this new facility. He is a man of great insight and is deeply appreciated by all who know him.
We thank God and the following congregations who have supported me in this work and made it possible for me to work with this congregation. Our thanks to the Highland Village church of Christ, in Bloomington, Indiana, the Mt. Zion church of Christ, in London, Kentucky, the North Lexington church of Christ, in Lexington, Kentucky, the Richmond church of Christ, in Richmond, Kentucky and the Trenton church of Christ, in Trenton, Georgia.
Several congregations and many individuals have contributed to our building fund--all of whom are inscribed upon our Wall of Faith. The Wall of Faith is located in the foyer of our building and upon this wall we inscribe the names of those who have contributed, in any amount, to the construction of this building. There are also names of those who have been placed "in memory" by a loved one and those who still live that have been inscribed "in honor" of the requested names. This wall will stand as a reminder of the many who had faith in the cause of Christ in Berea, Kentucky. The congregation still faces a large mortgage and will continue to accept contributions to help defray the mortgage, including donations "in memory" of a loved one or "in honor" of one held in high regard by the donor. These names will be added to our Wall of Faith as the contribution is received.
This congregation will "walk by faith" (2 Corinthians 5:7)--the faith of the Word of God--thus, the Wall of Faith. The Berea congregation has stood in the old paths and defended the Truth of God's Word, through the years, and we will continue to do so in the future.
In June (2001), the West Side church of Christ, located just West of Berea, decided to join us in our work. Brother Garla Johnson preached for this congregation and he and his wife, Linda, now worship and work with the Berea church, along with about fifteen others and we welcome them to our fellowship and work.
