The damage done by Hurricane Florence hasn’t completely been undone even now. Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church is still in the process of restoring the damage that last year’s hurricane did to their fellowship hall.
According to John Hobbs, pastor of the church, the old building was constructed a century ago in 1919 as a sanctuary with Sunday school classes. It was located where the current church sanctuary is now. It is believed that it was moved in 1963 and the new sanctuary completed afterwards. In November of 1965, the old building served as a fellowship hall until Sept. 14, 2018, when the hurricane wreaked havoc on the place of worship.
The church began construction to the fellowship hall in July, but have only recently stepped up the pace in September and October.
“It was a little slow at first,” Hobbs conceded.
The devastating winds of Florence tore the roof and the metal off of the building, leading to severe water damage that made it impossible to salvage. The only way to rebuild was to demolish what was left of the structure. That demolition occurred in February, five months before construction began.
“Twenty inches of rain fell in the building at a slow and steady pace over about three to four days. The roof blew off very early in the storm,” Hobbs stated. “We deconstructed the building in February 2019, per unanimous decision by the church. The old building was too damaged to repair.”
The roof is nearly complete, the windows have been installed and the framing has been finished. The projected date of completion is not until next year around March.
“The new building will primarily be used as a place of fellowship and ministry to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to our community,” Hobbs stated.
It will be a multi-building structure, offering office space, drive-thru coverage and an improved handicap entrance. The drive-thru coverage will make it easier to move from the fellowship hall to the sanctuary, especially during rainy conditions.
The new building will be constructed under the most recent building codes; it will be built to withstand much higher wind conditions than the old building. The fellowship hall wasn’t built in accordance of building codes due to its older age. It will be lower and built on a concrete pad, which could minimize any future risk of flood damage, Hobbs noted.
“The cost for construction of the new building and attachment to the existing structure is $673,000,” Hobbs explained. The church will cover all of the costs.
EST construction from Dunn were among the only available construction groups that could handle a project of this size. The company does a lot of church construction, so Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church went with them to take on the job.
Construction won’t be done in time for Harvest Day, which takes place this Sunday, Oct. 27. Church members will have time to write scriptures on the framing timbers of the new fellowship building. Parishioners are determined to make something good come out of something so disastrous.
“Revival begins Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. with New Bethel Quartet and our Revivalist Rev. Tim Evans of Massey Hill Baptist Church in Fayetteville,” Susan Hobbs, music director, mentioned.
“We are ready to get into the church and spread the Gospel and serve others in the name of the Lord,” John Hobbs expressed.
