Greater Shiloh Church has a rich history, dating back to its founding in 1905 as Shiloh Baptist Church of Easton, Pennylvania. Over the years, the church has overcome a number of obstacles that could have thwarted a weaker congregation. In 1973, its building was demolished as part of a city redevelopment plan. Without a pastor or worship facility, committed members held the church together, continuing to hold worship services. 
  
In the 1980s, the church found a new pastor and built a new building. When arsonists destroyed much of the sanctuary in early 1993, the church pulled together again, building a new, larger worship center by the end of the year. Growth continued, and, before long, the church needed still more space.
 
"They had 300 to 350 people in an 8 a.m. service and about 400 in an 11 a.m. service," said Shawn Barrett, sales and marketing director for United Church Structures (UCS), the company that provided the domed shell for the church's new facility. "They felt the need to start a building program sooner than they initially expected. They wanted to design a dome structure, something unique."
  
The church had a dome structure in mind and wanted to build a facility around it. Working with a local architect, the church designed a 15-sided structure with classrooms and offices to surround the dome. The building has a tall sidewall to accommodate a large balcony. 
  
"They incorporated a narthex with cathedral ceilings, which created a nice focal point from the exterior," Barrett said.

At one point, the ceiling towers to 120 feet.
  
In the lower level, the church has offices and classrooms surrounding a children's church center that also can be used as a fellowship area. Standard materials like brick, Eifes and spandrel glazing were used on the exterior of the building. 
   
Many churches choose to build on a slab on grade, which would have been quicker and less expensive. However, Greater Shiloh wanted to include a downstairs basement area to include the children's church and fellowship areas. This required quite a bit of site preparation and additional foundation requirements. However, it also greatly increased the facility's size and space for additional ministries, without affecting the building's front façade.
  
The sanctuary itself features a cupola and exposed laminated beams, which is a trademark of UCS structures. The church's contemporary worship style lends itself often to the use of orchestra, dance and video displays as part of the normal worship experience.  Multiple video screens were installed throughout the worship center, including two surface-mount motorized projection screens. A high-tech sound system ensures acoustics remain at a premium for everyone attending a worship service, concert or other performance.
  
There are many shell packages from which churches can choose, including the Geodisc dome that was selected by Greater Shiloh. Other options include square, rectangle, hexagon or octagon models. When the architect was selected, UCS sent sealed, engineered shop drawings that provided all the technical specifications the architect needed to incorporate the structure into the working drawings. 
  
Once approved by the architect, construction of the shell began. It was built to the specifications shown on the shop drawings, generated from a 3-D model. The wall studs, headers and sheathing were pre-cut along with the roof panels.
  
After site work was completed and the footings and foundation were laid, the builder received the shell, including a stud-framed vertical sidewall, rough-framed for doors and windows, with a sheathed exterior. Also included were pre-stained laminated wood beams and arches and a structural insulated panel roof deck, including unfinished drywall on the interior, 5.5 inches (R-24) insulation and an exterior wood sheathed exterior skin.
  
After the shell was in place, the builder finished the interior and exterior of the facility, rounding out the building process. In the new facility, the church became known simply as "Greater Shiloh Church."
  
"The building is set off the road on top of a large hill, and it really is a monument in the community," noted Barrett.
  
Part of the success of this project, she added, is that Greater Shiloh took time in the design process to consider its needs, its budget and the aesthetic appeal the congregation wanted. 
  
Those considering a similar building project will want to conduct a long-range planning and feasibility study to consider long-terms plans and possibilities. Next, a building committee can be selected to bring the project along.
  
Once needs are known, a church can choose an architect or design/build team. If a church knows it wants something special, like a domed facility, companies like UCS can often provide leads to those in the area with experience.
  
United Church Structures, www.unitedchurchstructures.com, has been assisting growing churches for more than 20 years, helping determine what style building meets their needs. UCS specializes in structures featuring exposed, laminated beams. 

Fast Facts

Church: Greater Shiloh Church
Affiliation: Baptist
Location: Easton, Pennsylvania
Membership: More than 1,000 active members
Project: Build a unique new church structure, with a dome, for an existing congregation with seating for up to 1,400 people.
Size: 36,000 square feet. The two-story building includes a dome structure built on a basement with walk-out ability.
Cost: $3.7 million for the structure, plus about $1 million in site preparation
Challenge: Time was a concern, as the two morning services were overflowing with worshippers. They needed a facility completed quickly.
Solution: While total construction took just under a year, the assembly of the dome, which is the centerpiece of the structure, took only about two weeks to complete. Much of the prep work took place before the arrival on site.