Because of the rapid

population explosion, many of the 110 churches in Fayette

County currently have expansion projects underway and New

Hope Baptist Church is no exception.

In fact, it has a South

Campus that is only two years old. At that time, it

accepted the former Glen Grove/Starr's Mill Baptist

Church into its fold and quickly discovered the need for

a new sanctuary.

A bid for 62 acres just

across the road on Hwy. 74 was given and the entire

congregation of New Hope Baptist Church was asked for a

pledge.

According to associate

pastor, Rev. Barry Thompson, "we had hoped to raise

half the $550,000 needed on that day. Instead the entire

amount was pledged and in one day we had the cash needed

to purchase the South Campus acreage."

Thompson is the overseer of

planning and construction currently taking place at both

campuses.

The South Campus facility

will cost $3.5 million and construction began last

spring. The move-in date has been set for the end of

January, 2000. The sanctuary will hold 700 persons. The

former Starr's Mill church facility will become the youth

complex and its exterior will be changed somewhat to

reflect that status.

The North Campus is on a

setting of 94 acres and the congregation dates back to

the 1880s and is about to begin a $6.2 million dollar

expansion by way of a multi-purpose building that will

contain 12 new Sunday School rooms, dining for as many as

700 persons, a new gymnasium, an orchestra rehearsal

room, a media center/library, a 24-hour prayer room, and

mission training rooms.

The church hopes to have a

mission established on just about every continent on

Earth and is very close to that now. It has many members

who go on short-term mission assignments around the world

and these training rooms are where they will received

their education to do just that.

The North Campus is located

at 551 New Hope Road. Sunday morning services are: 9:15

a.m., Bible Study and 10:45 a.m. for Worship Service.

The South Campus is located

at Hwy. 74 and South Hwy. 85. Sunday morning services

are: 9 a.m. for Worship Service and 10:30 for Bible

Study.

"We are," said

the Rev. Thompson, "one church with two

locations."