Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

First Baptist moves along with God's will

By GAIL HOLLENBECK
Published December 16, 2006

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: M. N. Golden] Inverness Mayor Bob Plaisted, left, a member of First Baptist Church of Inverness, and the Rev. Donnie Seagle stand in the baptistry overlooking the church. [Times photo: M. N. Golden] Seagle, left, and Plaisted check the carpet's audio connections in front of the choir seats Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Inverness.

INVERNESS - The Rev. Donnie Seagle is excited. Phase 1 of First Baptist Church's building project is complete, and the inaugural worship in the new building will be Sunday.

Seagle has spent the week moving into the new facility on Pleasant Grove Road.

"Going into a new building in a new neighborhood is very exciting," Seagle said. "For a lot of the members, there are some wonderful memories here (at the existing church on Seminole Avenue), and it's going to be hard leaving a place where we've built so many memories.

"But we're excited about going to the new home because of the possibilities and the potentials that God has placed there. So there's not a lot of fear, just a little sadness."

Seagle said the new facility will serve two main purposes.

"Our deepest need is for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Our job as a church is to provide opportunities for folks to know him and to know his word and to live a life that brings glory to God," he said.

"Secondarily, there's the need for fellowship and help in various ways - youth ministry and for children to be raised up in the admonition of the Lord and all those huge variety of ministry needs that are out there."

The new sanctuary will seat 850 people.

"There are two wings of educational, administrative and children's classroom space and an industrial kitchen and fellowship hall, as well as a children ... room," Seagle said. "The building sits on 50 acres of land, giving us plenty of room for additional building and growth needs."

Initially, there will be one Sunday morning worship, but that is expected to change.

"It will be neat being in the new building and having everybody together for one service initially," Seagle said. "Our hope and prayer is that within the first year, we end up having to offer a second service because of growth. We do have plans on the drawing board for additional buildings, but they're two or three years down the road."

Seagle, 45, plans to be around when that happens. He expressed that thought to members during a recent Pastor Appreciation Sunday.

"How thankful we are God led us here," Seagle said, emotion in his voice.

Coming to First Baptist with his wife, Sharon, and two teenagers was not an easy decision for Seagle. He had recently dealt with some personal tragedies, and the Inverness church was still healing from a congregational split and about to take on its huge building project.

The son of a pastor, Seagle grew up learning to trust in God for his life decisions. For a time, he considered entering the law profession. While in college in North Carolina, he made a different choice.

Seagle's sermon on that Pastor Appreciation Sunday was about standing at the crossroads of faith and fear. He spoke about Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land. He was also speaking about the church - and himself.

"You live your life in ministry at that crossroads of faith and fear - of looking forward to where God is leading and yet seeing the obstacles and challenges and giants that are in the land ahead of you," Seagle said. "Do you step out and follow God faithfully and trust him to provide and to guide your steps, or do you let fear paralyze you?

"This journey has been incredible," he said. "I can't wait to spend the next 30 years here and see what God has in store for us."

To which the congregation said, "Amen."

[Last modified December 15, 2006, 19:57:40]