The Rev. Bobby Carpenter and his flock of 450 at Line Creek Baptist Church

have been in their present place since 1869. The sanctuary has sat in the

Shakerag community and in Peachtree City, but never moved.

That will change in the coming months.

A developer has purchased the land and the church has purchased 15 acres

in Coweta County on Bob Smith Road. The new sanctuary will have a seating

capacity of 459, up from the present 200 seats.

The primary concern of the church members was its cemetery, which sits

on one acre behind the sanctuary. The congregation will retain ownership.

The developer has agreed to put a wall around the cemetery. A paved roadway

will be laid down from one end to the other for a hearse to traverse. Appropriate

landscaping will also be added with a garden setting.

A private entrance will be off Ga. Highway 74 North.

"This move," said the Rev. Carpenter, "is not without a

lot of thought and discussion. A number of members are direct descendants

of the church founders. They were baptized here and married here. But God

does not call a building a church; it's where the people are. I have

been associated with this church both as a member in 1973 and as its pastor

since 2002, and it will be a thoughtful event for me also."

The church now sits on high ground, and the developer will be leveling

the land even with the present Ga. Highway 54.