Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC Howard Griffin, from Second Baptist Church in LaGrange, uses an angle saw in constructing the new Friendship Association building. He was one of many volunteers in taking on the 3,000-square-foot project.

On a stormy Thursday night last March, tornadoes ripped across South Georgia killing nine and leaving destroyed homes, church, and businesses in its wake.

In downtown Americus a swath of destruction destroyed a major thoroughfare in the city, including the offices of Friendship Baptist Association. In the last year, those offices have been carted away and this month, the walls were raised on a new building – twice the size and 14 miles away.

It’s been an eventful year for Charles Stoops, the associational missionary who took the job just five months before tornadoes changed his job description. He’s used the opportunity to rebuild a new association.

“This past year we sold our property in Americus and bought land in Ellaville,” he said. “Even though the association offices have been in Americus for 150 years, Ellaville is the geographic center of the association.”

Eight counties make up Friendship Association and the new location will be easily accessible to everyone. The new offices will be twice the size of the former building and include a large meeting area and three showers.

“After this experience, we decided to make our offices accessible to volunteers. They’ll be able to sleep on the floor of the conference room and we’ll have showers as well,” Stoops said. “That decision is part of our goal to become more missional.”

The association was able to double the size of the offices because volunteers are providing the labor. Georgia Baptist Builders agreed to take on the 3,000-square-foot project. The group of volunteers – most of them retired – help churches with construction needs. The churches most often do not have the finances to complete a project without volunteer labor.

“We wouldn’t have anything this size if it weren’t for the Baptist Builders,” Stoops said.

But location and new offices aren’t all that Stoops has brought up to date. When the association gathers this fall for its 150th annual meeting – in its new building – they’ll vote on a new constitution and bylaws.

“Our bylaws call for 29 committees. It’s just not efficient any longer,” Stoops said.

Associational leaders have stepped up to plan strategically for the future, designing a more fluid document that represents the way they function today.

“We’re rebuilding more than just offices,” he said.

 

Still needed . . .
Skilled volunteers are still needed to complete the Friendship Baptist Association offices, including brick masons, painters, carpet layers, and dry wall finishers. If you are interested in volunteering, call Stuart Lang at (770) 936-5259 or (800) RING GBC.

 

Baptist Builders, a group of volunteers that provides construction for Georgia churches, is organized through the GBC associational missions office, which is funded through your gifts to the Cooperative Program. For more information about Baptist Builders, contact Stuart Lang at slang@gabaptist.org or (770) 936-5259 or (800) RING GBC.

 

You and your church may send Cooperative Program gifts to:
Dr. J. Robert White
Excutive Director, GBC
6405 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097-4092