Marietta Community Church has permanent location
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¯ Who: Marietta Community Church.
¯ Where: 200 Franklin St., Marietta.
¯ Service time: 10 a.m.
¯ Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/watch/mariettacma/
Source: Marietta Community Church.
After 21 years at the Marietta YMCA, the Marietta Community Church has a permanent home.
Pastor Kenneth Brown, a 36-year pastor, said their soft opening was Feb. 7.
"We had a soft opening to get a rhythm in the new building," he said.
Services are 10 a.m. Sundays. They also live stream their services on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/watch/mariettacma/.
They relocated to a building on Colegate Drive after the YMCA closed, but when they found the former River of Life Church for sale at 200 Franklin St. in Harmar, they decided it was a good move for the congregation.
The building was purchased last year and was in "fairly bad condition," Kenneth said.
It took four months to get the building into a usable shape.
He said even though they purchased the building and did extensive renovations, the church is debt-free.
"Everything we did, we did under budget," Pastor Nate Gibbons, who is Kenneth's 'left-hand man,' said. "God really did stretch our money."
He said in all, they saved almost $160,000.
The building was for sale for around $195,000, but it was purchased from the parent organization of the Assembly of God for about $50,000. They budgeted a certain amount for the renovations, but Kenneth's wife, Pamela, said they paid only a third of what they thought it would cost.
They had to install a new metal roof and HVAC system. Before carpet tiles were laid, Bible verses were written on the concrete floor, Gibbons said.
Kenneth said there are still several things that need done, but they were focused on getting the building into an "acceptable, usable stage."
A second building on the property will be worked on sometime in the future.
Next year, they hope to put two handicap accessible bathrooms on the main floor and replace the boarded up windows downstairs.
Kenneth said the church is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which notes on its website "together as a Christ-centered, Acts 1:8 family, we will Love, Proclaim, Reach, and Launch."
Kenneth said they are Bible-focused and Christian-minded, but are very casual.
The congregation is made of a good core group of people, Pamela said.
Kenneth said there is one big difference with their church.
"We are more concerned about what we're known for than what we are against," he said. "We don't want to be known for bashing other churches."
Gibbons remarked that they strive to be a community-minded church.
"If you want to come, our doors are open," he said.
Gibbons said it's great how the community has supported their move into the building.
"People seem excited we moved in," Pamela said.
"We love people," Gibbons said with a laugh.
Michele Newbanks can be reached at
mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.