Post by proschool on Jun 7, 2008 0:19:24 GMT -6
St. John AME picks new site for church
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 6/6/2008 5:35 PM | Updated: 6/6/2008 5:35 PMSend To:
(0) | read | post Buzz up!When leaders of Aurora's St. John AME Church sold their 84 acres to Indian Prairie Unit District 204 in April, they felt it was a setback for their own project, but also God's will.
Friday afternoon, in what the Rev. Jesse Hawkins called "an act of divine intervention," the church signed a contract to purchase 25 acres on the northwest corner of Eola and Builta roads in Aurora for the construction of its new campus.
The church purchased the land from DuPage Property Ventures Group for an undisclosed amount.
"No one has done anything to assist us with the purchase of this property," Hawkins said. "We're certainly spending much more per acre than what we sold ours to the school district for."
The church owned 84 acres east of Eola and south of Diehl Road and sold the parcel to District 204 for construction of the district's third high school, the 3,000-seat Metea Valley.
Since that time, Hawkins said the church has been aggressively searching for a new lot to build its proposed 6,500-square-foot church that will include an 86-foot steeple, a sanctuary, fellowship hall, administrative offices, classroom and chapel.
Cost and space issues, however, will prevent members from immediately building the fitness center and conference hall that were included in the original plans.
Since selling their old church in 2006, members have worshipped at District 204's Granger Middle School. Despite the delay in building, Hawkins said he expects to be worshipping in the new facility by October 2009, months after the opening of Metea Valley.
"This process has certainly been a divine intervention and the power of God has been visible throughout the entire journey," Hawkins said Friday after closing the deal. "Today is a good day for St. John. This means we'll be able to accomplish a groundbreaking and beginning of construction this year. That means a lot to us."
Hawkins said the church membership asked only that the church remain on the Eola Road corridor to make it accessible to those that travel from as far away as Algonquin and DeKalb.
"It is important to stay in Aurora because we are the oldest African-American church in the suburbs with history dating back to 1862," he said. "We had to keep that intact."
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. June 22 for church members.
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 6/6/2008 5:35 PM | Updated: 6/6/2008 5:35 PMSend To:
(0) | read | post Buzz up!When leaders of Aurora's St. John AME Church sold their 84 acres to Indian Prairie Unit District 204 in April, they felt it was a setback for their own project, but also God's will.
Friday afternoon, in what the Rev. Jesse Hawkins called "an act of divine intervention," the church signed a contract to purchase 25 acres on the northwest corner of Eola and Builta roads in Aurora for the construction of its new campus.
The church purchased the land from DuPage Property Ventures Group for an undisclosed amount.
"No one has done anything to assist us with the purchase of this property," Hawkins said. "We're certainly spending much more per acre than what we sold ours to the school district for."
The church owned 84 acres east of Eola and south of Diehl Road and sold the parcel to District 204 for construction of the district's third high school, the 3,000-seat Metea Valley.
Since that time, Hawkins said the church has been aggressively searching for a new lot to build its proposed 6,500-square-foot church that will include an 86-foot steeple, a sanctuary, fellowship hall, administrative offices, classroom and chapel.
Cost and space issues, however, will prevent members from immediately building the fitness center and conference hall that were included in the original plans.
Since selling their old church in 2006, members have worshipped at District 204's Granger Middle School. Despite the delay in building, Hawkins said he expects to be worshipping in the new facility by October 2009, months after the opening of Metea Valley.
"This process has certainly been a divine intervention and the power of God has been visible throughout the entire journey," Hawkins said Friday after closing the deal. "Today is a good day for St. John. This means we'll be able to accomplish a groundbreaking and beginning of construction this year. That means a lot to us."
Hawkins said the church membership asked only that the church remain on the Eola Road corridor to make it accessible to those that travel from as far away as Algonquin and DeKalb.
"It is important to stay in Aurora because we are the oldest African-American church in the suburbs with history dating back to 1862," he said. "We had to keep that intact."
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. June 22 for church members.
I like it.