9/21/07
By Steve Huffman, Salisbury Post
Members of Salisbury's First Baptist Church are financing and building a Habitat for Humanity house at 1211 Celebration Drive.
This marks the fourth Habitat home that congregation members have constructed. Church members raised $40,000 to pay for materials for this house and are also providing the manpower for its construction.
They started work on the house Sept. 8 and are doing most of the labor on Saturdays. They plan to finish before Thanksgiving.
Bryan Overcash, First Baptist's project coordinator, said some church members have donated money, while others have prepared food for the workers.
Just about everyone in the church is praying for the project and its workers, Overcash said.
"We've got folks behind it and supporting it in a lot of different ways," he said.
Overcash said anywhere from 12 to 20 workers typically show up for a Saturday of work on the Habitat project.
"It's coming together pretty well," he said.
Coleman Emerson, executive director of the Rowan County branch of Habitat for Humanity, said the house being constructed by the First Baptist workers is the 67th built since the organization's inception in 1990.
He said a number of local churches have sponsored Habitat houses, with First Baptist being among the most active congregations.
Emerson said applicants for Habitat housing go through the same interview and selection process, regardless of the organization that's sponsoring their particular house.
Habitat homes are sold to deserving families with interest-free financing.
"We specialize in simple, decent, affordable housing," Emerson said.
In addition to being required to go through an extensive application and interview process, those selected for Habitat houses must give a certain number of "sweat equity" hours to the project.
Laura Chalk and her family have been selected for the house that First Baptist members are in the process of building.
"It's not unusual, but it's always welcome," Emerson said of churches and other organizations undertaking a Habitat building project.
Pete Teague is serving something of a dual role in this Habitat project. He's president of the local Habitat chapter and also a member of First Baptist.
Teague said the Rev. Kenneth Lance, pastor of First Baptist, is very supportive of the church's involvement with Habitat.
Teague said this marks the first time that First Baptist has been a full sponsor of a Habitat house. A full sponsorship requires the raising of $40,000.
First Baptist has in the past been a partial sponsor, meaning congregation members raised $20,000.
Teague said the congregation raised $40,000 relatively quickly. He said Lance announced at church one Sunday that they were going to tackle that sum and the money poured in.
"The next thing you know, we'd raised the money," Teague said. "It's pretty remarkable."
Kevin Jones is construction coordinator for this project and said it's the first time that First Baptist has built a four-bedroom house. The previous houses congregation members constructed were three bedrooms.
A bigger house is being constructed because Chalk, the woman who's going to be the owner, has four children, Jones said.
"So far it's been great," he said. "We've had lots of people out."
SOURCE: Salisbury Post
