Virginia Megachurch Breaks Ground on New $10 Million Church With Outdoor Amphitheater
A growing megachurch in Virginia will be moving its congregation to a new $10 million facility that when completed will be about 50,000 square feet.
Believers Church of Chesapeake is planning to move from the city's Western Branch community to Suffolk, with a groundbreaking on the new property scheduled for Monday, Aug. 22.
Heather Carl, spokesperson for Believers Church, told The Christian Post that the move was occurring because the congregation has outgrown its building.
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"Believers Church is planning a move to the Harbour View community in Suffolk, Virginia, due to rapid growth in church attendance and our desire to meet the needs of our growing community," explained Carl.
"We have maxed out our current space by offering four services each Sunday to help alleviate overcrowding in rooms and the parking lot."
In January of 2005, Believers had about 330 regular attendees. Over the past decade, that number climbed to about 1,500. Combining membership and attendance records, as many as 2,200 different people are presently connected to the church.
According to the church's website, fundraising for the move began in October 2012, with congregants raising approximately $15 million by 2014 as part of the "Not Just a Building" project.
"In August of 2014, Believers officially purchased nearly 7 acres of land in the heart of the Harbour View community, just 6 miles from our current location," noted the website.
Carl told CP that the new facility is not only being constructed for worship services, but it is also "being built for our community."
"It will be a center available to rent for events such as: concerts, conferences, parties, receptions, weddings, etc.," added Carl, who explained that the building will have space for a Day School, a 945-seat auditorium, a café and kitchen, several meeting rooms, play spaces, and "an outdoor amphitheater-style area."
Church member Archie Brock told The Suffolk News-Herald last week that in preparation for the move parishioners "etched their prayer requests and names onto a cross that will hang up in the new sanctuary.
"Building God's Way, a Utah-based architect firm, and CW Brinkley Construction will be handling the project. Construction is expected to be complete by October 2017. The estimated cost for the project is $10.1 million."
