Church has big plans after move

Pine View Baptist Church has a new home.

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Rev. Michael L. Davenport

Formerly located on Davis Road, the church now occupies the building on Pleasant Home Road that was once St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church. On Sunday, the church will have its first service in its new location.

"We are very excited and very humble at the same time," said the pastor, the Rev. Michael L. Davenport. "I'm proud of it, but not to the point where we are boastful. We are going to serve him regardless of if we are here or in some other building."

With 41,000 square feet, the church is nearly four times the size of its former site. The larger size will allow it to have more programs to serve its 350 members and the community, said the Rev. Rick Busby, associate pastor.

"This sanctuary has room for plenty of growth for our people. In the education facilities, we have more than enough room for our classrooms, and then the family life center gives us an opportunity to reach out to the community, to our young people," he said. "We'll be able to offer more programs for youth and for adults through our family life center. There are so many opportunities that we can offer through these facilities. There's no possible way we could have done it through our present facilities at Davis Road."

Among the programs planned for the new facilities are weekly support-group meetings and gospel concerts, Dr. Busby said.

Dr. Davenport said he hopes the surrounding community will see the church as a resource.

"I hope within 10 years that we would have penetrated these housing developments and communities around us. I hope people will realize that we are here as a healing station, someone that can help them and will help them," he said.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.