January 13, 2025
SMYRNA, Ga. — Under the leadership of Pastor Jeff Pennington, First Baptist Church of Smyrna, founded in 1884, has taken a monumental step toward ensuring a bright and blessed future for the church.
For several years Smyrna’s governmental leadership expressed an interest in establishing a larger presence in the flourishing downtown area of the city. Joshua Skinner, writing for the Atlanta News First television channel explained, “The purchase of the First Baptist Church land is the latest step in what city leaders (envision) as a years-long process to connect its downtown in a more fluid setup.”
Derek Norton, Smyrna’s mayor, and Pennington began having exploratory discussions regarding the possibility of the city acquiring the church’s property several years ago. Pennington was very careful to apprise the church leadership of every conversation with the mayor and the members of the city council.
At first, there was interest in purchasing only a portion of the land the church owned, but after some thoughtful consideration the city council agreed to purchase the church’s nine acres, including their facilities, for $15,800,000 and give the church the opportunity to purchase 5.5 acres of prime land owned by the city on Atlanta Road just a few blocks from their current location for $3,300,000. The city governing officials also included in the agreement that the church agreed to pay $300,000 to lease the present property during construction of the new facilities and until the premises are vacated.
The “Rock Church,” built 100 years ago, located at the corner of Church Street and King St. SC will remain intact because of its historical significance. The city may make it a performing arts center.
Pennington realized that there was merit in considering the city’s interest in purchasing the church property for several reasons:
(1) The upkeep and maintenance of the current facilities was becoming prohibitive due to increasing expenses. It had been estimated that the cost of bringing the church up to modern standards, both inside and outside the facility, would be approximately $2.5 million. One builder in the church believed that to be an extremely conservative assessment.
(2) If the church did not approve the proposal, the members would be obligated to continue to pay $1.6 million on a loan that matures in 2028 and would likely need to refinance the loan to continue making payments on it for additional years.
(3) The current location of the church is somewhat off the beaten path, and the property which the city is offering to sell to the church is on a strategic stretch of Atlanta Road where 90,000 vehicles pass by every week.
(4) A special projects team would need to be selected to work with a design firm to establish a plan for renewing the current campus, and money would need to be raised to pay cash for the new projects’ costs.
(5) Current statistics show that Cobb County is one of the 50 fastest growing counties in the nation. The available statistics indicate that by 2027 the county will have an additional 110 people per square mile and a population of over 800,000 individuals. Churches need to prepare for that kind of growth with their facilities, programs, and spiritual vitality.
When churches are faced with prodigious decisions, there is always concern for the outcome of the vote and the impact it may have upon those who may not agree with the majority. When the final proposal was presented to the church to move forward with the city council’s offer, Pennington addressed the congregation in a communication that said, “This motion comes as a product of many hours of prayer, seeking God’s will, and working diligently in faith to produce a vision for our church’s future as a gospel witness to the city of Smyrna. We’ve been here a long time, and we will be here for many, many more years to come."
In addressing his membership, Pennington emphasized, “Relocating allows us to move from defense to offense. Being out of debt, significantly more resources can be allocated to reaching our community with the gospel.
“Rather than play catch up and react to our building’s needs, we can proactively steward its future care. This decision allows us to flip the script, to invest in reaching people rather than brick and mortar, and help propel an already missions-minded church to be even more faithful in fulfilling the Great Commission."
The church voted on July 23, 2024, by secret ballot and a majority of the members approved the sale of the current church property. Pennington added, “I am so proud of our people and their shared vision to trust God with our future. Rather than struggle with the changes of our community, our members are seeking to embrace the opportunities that a growing population allows.”
In December 2024, the City of Smyrna finalized the $15.8 million purchase of the church’s property. Pennington and the church’s leadership team are working with CDH Architecture and the plans for the new building and there is hope there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facilities before year’s end.
The new church property will have 37,000 square feet of floor space with a worship center that will accommodate 500 people, provision for Christian education is included, a gymnasium for Upwards Basketball, and various children and student events will be a part of the overall design. There will be 280 parking spaces and some green space on the new property as well. The city has also agreed to put in a turning lane and stop light to help vehicles exiting the new church campus.
Pennington exclaimed, “After all plans are approved, construction on the new site will begin and the church will eventually move into a brand new and fully paid-for facility. I believe we will be in our new building within 24 months.”
