While having a place to accommodate its growing membership was the motivation for a new home for Meridian First Seventh-day Adventist Church, the decision was not only about comfortable surroundings for members.

“It’s such an awesome location,” said Debbie Burke of Meridian, who along with her husband, Roger, has been a member of the North Hills church for 15 years.

“Our church and school will be more visible to the community and it will enable us to reach out to the community better,” Burke said.

In a few weeks, workers will begin pouring cement for construction of a new church and school building at 6528 Highway 39 North. Both buildings are scheduled for completion in the spring of 2007.

“This is something the congregation has talked about for quite a few years,” said the Rev. Carlin Clinton, who has served as Meridian First Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s pastor since 2004.

“And through contributions from church members and the sale of our current facilities, it is about to happen for us,” Clinton said.



History



In 1908, a dentist named F.R. Schaefer came to Meridian with his family, started working and began to share his faith. In 1909, under his leadership, the first Seventh-day Adventist camp-meeting was held. InAugust of that year, the Meridian First Seventh-day Adventist Church was formed with 22 charter members.

The newly-formed church met in several locations until 1920 and at that point they built their first church building, located on the corner of Eighth Street and 38th Avenue. This location was expanded in 1953 and was used until 1975, when the current building was constructed on North Hills Street.

Meridian First Seventh-day Adventist Church has also maintained an education facility — North Hills Christian School — since the 1920s. In 1998, a new school was built, separate from the church on North Hills Street.



Bigger space,

bigger outreach



The new church facility will be about 17,000 square feet.

“We would like to have a building that will not only meet our current needs, but also leave room for growth,” Clinton said.

The new school — which is accredited and is open to the community — will be about 18,000 square feet and will include a full-size gymnasium.

The church will face Highway 39 and the school will face Newell Road. A road will be be constructed from the highway to Newell Road, and the church and school will share a large parking lot between the two facilities.

With the two new buildings, Clinton said he hopes to expand the church’s outreach and ministry to new areas in the Meridian community.

“Seventh-day Adventists operate a global missionary work that has as its primary goal preparing men and women to meet Jesus when He comes,” he said.

Members also hope the new location will strengthen the church’s ties with the community.

“Our church is growing under the leadership of our pastor, and now that we’re in a more visible setting, we want the community to realize we have a church and school to offer, as well as a community outreach,” said Joy McElroy of Cuba, Ala. McElroy and her husband, Buddy, have been members of Meridian First Seventh-day Adventist Church for 45 years.