For many years, Anniston First Baptist Church was a fixture in bustling downtown Anniston, Alabama. But over the years, many people moved away from the city's center. Those who lived outside of town didn't want to travel into the city to attend church, and Anniston First Baptist saw its membership and attendance numbers shrinking. The congregation was made up largely of older members, with very few younger families coming into the mix. Then, to make matters worse, a fire swept through the facility, destroying much of its interior.

At that point, church leaders knew they had a decision to make. Would they simply close the doors of the church? Would they attempt to rebuild in the same location, where attendance was down and parking was limited? Or, would they take a leap of faith and relocate to an area where there was more potential for future growth? After much prayer and deliberation, they opted for the new location.

"They took the opportunity to buy some property in the Fort McClellan area and build a new church," said Harold Forsyth, president of Forsyth Building Company, Inc., the contractor involved in the project.

Fort McClellan, a former army base, has a rich history in east Alabama, dating back to the Spanish-American War. Over the years, thousands of soldiers trained at Fort McClellan, which also served as an internment camp for enemy combatants during World War II. Later, the fort was home to the U.S. Army Chemical Center and School, the U.S. Army Military Police School, the Training Brigade and the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute.

In 1999, the base was closed, permanently changing the make-up of this community and putting a strain on its local economy. Since the base's closing, efforts have been underway to redevelop the property, and they have been largely successful. The area around Fort McClellan is growing quickly, with new communities springing up and young families moving to the area.

Anniston First Baptist purchased several acres, which once had been baseball and softball fields on the base, to be the new location for the church. Following the move, the church changed its name to Anniston First Baptist Church at McClellan.

"They built a sanctuary and classrooms and plan to add a fellowship hall later," noted Forsyth.

The new church, which includes about 16,000 square feet of space, is constructed with a structural steel frame and stucco exterior. The Spanish style of the facility is in keeping with many of the other buildings around the fort. At the time of construction, a red shingle roof was installed on the church, with provisions for a slate roof to be added in the future.

In addition to the sanctuary and adult and children's classrooms, the facility includes a full kitchen, library and parlor. A tower, in the old Spanish tradition, adds an attractive element to the building's façade. Inside, the mood carries through with rough, stained concrete floors in the lobby. Floors in the sanctuary are gently sloped to allow all those attending a service to have a clear view of the pulpit. Exposed, structural steel beams in the sanctuary seem to protrude from the painted, acoustical ceiling.

The choir program is an important ministry at the church, and much care was taken in planning the rehearsal facility. Just behind the choir loft in the sanctuary is a mirror-image loft in the practice facility. The back sanctuary wall separates one from the other.

The project was about three-fourths of the way completed when tragedy struck. In the midst of construction, the electrician whose company had been hired to complete the electrical work suffered a fatal heart attack. Soon after, his business was closed.

"This threw everybody off badly," recalled Forsyth, noting not only the emotional toil the loss caused, but the delaying of the construction process.

"The church had set a date for the dedication a couple of months in advance, and we had a deadline to make," he added.

To reduce further delays, Forsyth added the electricians working on the church to his company's payroll for the remainder of the project. Everything was completed on time, and the church was able to hold its dedication service as planned.

For churches considering a building project, Forsyth suggested leaders get involved in the details.

"Know why rooms are where they are, which way the doors swing and how the lighting is installed," he said. "An owner needs to know the drawings."

Many times, as a builder, he said, he will be involved in the construction process when an owner will come in to question why a room is a certain size or why a window is placed in a particular location. At that point, it can be difficult and costly to make changes.

"I know it's hard to see until it is up," Forsyth continued. "But, go over the details and know how everything functions. And, decide if it all meets your criteria."

Forsyth Building Company, www.forsythbuilding.com, is a full-service contracting firm, located in Anniston Alabama. After working as vice -president for a general contractor, Harold Forsyth founded the firm in 1998 to serve the community and give his clients special attention. The full design build firm specializes in church buildings.

In a Nutshell

Church: Anniston First Baptist Church at McClellan
Affiliation: Southern Baptist
Location: Anniston, Alabama
Project: After a fire destroyed much of its older, downtown location, this church decided to purchase property in a growing area outside of town to build a church for the future.
Size: 16,000 square feet
Cost: $2,087,000
Construction Time: 12 months
Challenge: In the midst of the project, the electrician whose company had been hired to complete the electrical work suffered a fatal heart attack. His business subsequently was closed. This made it difficult to get the project completed before the church's scheduled dedication of the new facility.
Solution: Forsyth Building Company hired the subcontractors working through the electrical company, putting them on its company payroll for the remainder of the project. This way, it was not necessary to find and hire a new contractor, and the project was still completed on time.