SPANISH FORT — The Church of His Presence recently bought 36.6 acres on Town Center Drive in Spanish Fort for a new facility, Pastor John Kilpatrick said.

Kilpatrick said the church will use 20 acres and will sell the remainder of the land. Proceeds from the sale of land will help fund the new building. Groundbreaking will probably start around Easter of 2008, Kilpatrick said.

“I think this area is very ripe for a powerful church,” Kilpatrick said.

The design of the building has not yet been selected, but Kilpatrick has a certain design in mind, he said. Depending on affordability, he hopes the church will be able to seat up to 2,500 members.

The building will mainly consist of the sanctuary at first. But the building will be expandable, so other areas such as classrooms, a nursery and conference rooms eventually will be added, he said.

He was with the Brownsville Assembly of God church in Pensacola for 22 years before coming to the Eastern Shore. Some former members of the church in Pensacola attend the services here.

The Church of His Presence has been meeting at the Daphne Civic Center since Jan. 8, 2006. Services begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. Church members number in the 500 range, Kilpatrick said. He estimated that almost 60 percent of the congregation now comes from a minimum of an hour’s drive away, including Grand Bay, Pensacola, Bay Minette, Foley and Pensacola.

“We are after the presence of God. Hopefully, it will be available for people when they come in,” he said.