SHARING THE SPIRIT

It was the openness and spirit of giving that drew Scott Thomas, his wife, Kelly, and their three children to Second Missionary Baptist Church nearly 10 years ago.

That same spirit has kept the church going for more than 130 years.

But while the spirit may be strong, the old building is cramped and decaying. The congregation is trying to raise $300,000 for a new building.

The church had hoped to build a new facility in its same location at the corner of Frederick and Jefferson streets but instead bought land at Elm and Beaudean streets and plans to build there.

The church has raised about one-third of the money it needs to finish the $300,000 project, said the pastor, the Rev. Wiley Reed.

Second Missionary Baptist Church is dedicated to serving the needs of its community, whatever they might be, the pastor says. The church wants to give to whomever stands in need, said Reed, the pastor since 1995.

The church contributes regularly to programs like Head Start, Mid-America Teen Challenge and the Salvation Army. It also tries to meet needs in its own congregation, whether through family outings and youth activities or through Bible classes and lessons.

Thomas, who has served as choir president and church treasurer, says the church has "a good spirit and a heart for giving."

"There have been several times that people come in off the street and need something, whether it's been in the middle of a service or Bible class, and whether or not they came back they were helped then. We want to be in that area and to be a help."

Thomas said there were times his family considered moving to other churches, but God showed him there was more work to be done. During his tenure as treasurer, he helped maintain the finances and presented the information in straightforward ways so that members would understand.

"People knew it was being taken care of," he said. During that time, the church also began a building program.

The church doesn't want to go deeply into debt for the project, so things have been put on hold until the money is available, Reed said. "We would like to have half that amount before we build."

The church isn't large, but its building has outlived its usefulness. The foundation is beginning to show signs of wear, and the stucco facade is crumbling. The building has been renovated inside but that was years ago.

"They've done an excellent job with upkeep," Reed said of the congregation, which gathers each week for a rather traditional Baptist worship service. Choir members don robes and take a seat on the stage, flanked by a piano on one side and a keyboard and drums on the other.

Reed stands at a podium to deliver his lively sermons while members sitting in pews rustle the pages of the Bibles searching for passages.

Some of the programs for younger children and youth are limited by space constraints in the building, particularly programs that could be expanded to reach more people in the neighborhood.

Thomas, 33, who is in the beginning stages of his ministry career, said some people haven't joined the church because there weren't enough activities for all members of their family.

"Now there are more young people when I was first there," Thomas said. "Younger people are coming into the church and have a zeal for learning about God."

Families are a big part of the congregation at the church. "We teach parenting models for families and role models," Reed said. Outings like fishing and camping trips are planned so that all members of a family can participate. "We're doing a good job in our community."

The church tries to teach lessons in good citizenship for children and youth and to help them develop.

"We want them to understand where they are in life but also have a projection of where they are bound," Reed said.

Thomas said there is still plenty of work to be completed at the church, whether or not a new facility is built. "The spiritual aspect is the most important, and I need to be there to help," he said.

Reed said the devotion of the membership has been a blessing to the church. Some members have been there more than 50 years while others are just joining. "We want to be effective within our reach and do everything for the community that we can."