SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Providence United Methodist Church has came a long way since its days meeting at David’s Catfish House.

Its new $2.8 million church is at  32200 Jimmy Faulkner Drive, just northeast of Spanish Fort High School, and comprises a fellowship area, classrooms for Sunday school and choir, a kitchen and church offices.

Sunday was a day of worship and moving as church members packed up their cars and trucks with chairs and hymnals after the service to move in the new building.

The congregation will hold  Sunday school at 9 a.m. and service with Holy Communion and a baptism at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend; following the service will be a potluck dinner, where the community can gather to view the new building.

“We’re very excited to have the space to do this,” Kathy Dean, a charter church member, said.

Phase one  of the three-part project is complete; the 15-acre  property will later comprise a sanctuary and education building,  Dean said.

“Moving everything together was a real bonding time,” Rev. Bob Sweet said. “We are very excited for Sunday’s service.

 “We have been waiting for this day for a long time and were certainly outgrowing the old place.”

About 220 members attended the church’s last service in the rented building on Stagecoach Road. Most packed up their vehicles and moved to the new building, which took about an hour, Dean said.

“We have always been a church where people love to work together,” Dean said. “It was a special way to start out our church life in this new building.

“There was a lot of laughter and joy.”

About 80 percent of items were moved Sunday; another moving day is set for Saturday.

The congregation saved money by hiring professional movers only to move the piano. Sweet said it never even crossed his mind to hire movers to take care of anything else.

That may be because the congregration has a history of moving things around themselves.

Dean said that when the congregation met at David’s Catfish House they had to bring and set up chairs, hymnals and the keyboard—then take it all down at the end of each service. Because of this, it was clear how the congregation would move to the new church.

The move was special in so many ways,  especially passing the catfish house, which is where the church originated in 2002, Dean said. The church, back then, had no name until “Providence” was suggested by one of its members. Since many church members were of United Methodist faith they decided to seek affiliation with the United Methodist church.

The catfish will live on with the new church and was even included in its sign with the United Methodist cross and flame, Dean said.

The congregation has about 270 members; the new building was erected with expansion in mind, allowing a 350 capacity, Dean said.

The church is much bigger than the old office building, so new chairs and other furniture will be purchased as needed.

For information contact the church office at 626-2510 or visit its Web site at www.providencemethodist.org.

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