The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) held a community-wide dedication service Saturday in celebration of the opening of its new $1 million facility in Jefferson City at 616 Locust St.
"One year ago on this date, we held our ground-breaking ceremony," Pastor Gregory Reeves said. "And here we are now."
During the dedication ceremony, Reeves shared his gratitude for the church board and the leadership of Elder Alonzo Jenkins to help bring the church back to its previous home.
Under the church's former leadership, COGIC held its services in a 2,000-square-foot space, holding a maximum of 50 people. The aftershock of urban renewal in the 1960s was one of the main reasons the old facility was constrained in size, because the city owned the land surrounding the facility.
In 2003, Reeves transitioned into pastoral leadership at the COGIC, and he said they outgrew the space, which caused them to move to Erin Court, located across from the old Ramada Hotel.
They started saving for a new facility and coming up with construction plans nine years ago, but it wasn't until two years ago that Reeves and the building committee started placing for bids.
He said of the six bids they placed, no one but Stark Construction Services, a local contractor, responded to their call - a contractor that wasn't even on the initial list.
"It had to be God," Reeves said.
Last year, the city granted Reeves the rights to the alleyway alongside the church's former location on Locust Street, which allowed Stark to connect the old facility with the new facility using their design plans and budget.
The combined location totals 12,000 square feet.
Reeves credits Jenkins for his leadership in helping the church's vision to come to fruition by working closely with the architects and contractors.
During Saturday's festivities, various pastors spoke in support of the new facility granting their blessing on the building.
Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin also joined the COGIC celebration, calling the new facility a blessing for the community.
"What I really love is how (you kept) the old church and connected it with the new church; it's like it was meant to be," Tergin said. "This new facility really gives you an idea of where they've been and where they're headed in the future."
With the additional space, Reeves said, he looks forward to offering support services and workshops to the community in the areas of finance, marriages and relationships, and wellness.
"Since we left this community nine years ago, the people that live in the area are not as familiar with us, but I look forward to reconnecting with them," Reeves said. "This is a total vision from our board, architects and the contractors, but Elder Jenkins had a vital role in bringing this to pass."