A DECADE IN THE WORKS, CHURCH DEDICATES NEW SANCTUARY SUNDAY

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 1, 1993                   TAG: 9303310389
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: N-8   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
A DECADE IN THE WORKS, CHURCH DEDICATES NEW SANCTUARY SUNDAY
The new Pilgrim Baptist Church sanctuary, which has been planned for more than a decade, will be dedicated at 5 p.m. on Palm Sunday.The new church is at 1415 Eighth St. N.W., not far from its former Rugby Boulevard Northwest site.
The Rev. Dwight O. Steele Sr., pastor, said the new building cost $1.2 million. It is on more than seven acres behind Addison Aerospace and Middle School on what the pastor called the Claytor property.
The Rev. Dwight C. Jones, pastor of South Richmond's First Bapist Church, will speak during the dedication. Holy Week services also are scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7:30 as part of the observance.
The evening services will be conducted respectively by the Revs. William Lee of Loudon Avenue Christian (Disciples of Christ), J. Eugene Young of Jerusalem Baptist and Noel Taylor of High Street Baptist.
The new church will be open to the public from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Steele said the building is the first in a three-phase plan. By 1995, he said, he hopes a fellowship hall and commercial kitchen can be added; the ones now are smaller than desirable for a building that will seat more than 600.
The third phase will be a family life center, a place where members will be able to enjoy recreation, education and fellowship throughout the week.
Parking has been planned for about 350 cars.
Pilgrim Baptist, affiliated with the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., had been at the Rugby location for more than 30 years.
When Steele was called as pastor five years ago from an Elizabeth City, N.C., church, the congregation had owned the land for some time but had been unable to secure enough money to relocate, he said. The original goals were scaled down, and the three-phase plan adopted.
Gravely and Associates of Greensboro, N.C., presented new plans in 1988 and Lionberger Construction Co. of Roanoke started work 10 months ago.
The new church is fully equipped for the handicapped and is all on one floor. Its nave, with a mauve color scheme to contrast with light gray split-faced stone walls, is highlighted by five clear windows on each side.
A wing behind the worship area has several classrooms, choir room, ushers' quarters, a conference room, a nursery and lounges for the restrooms.
An administrative suite for Steele and Brenda Taylor, the secretary, opens off the Grayson Avenue side of the building. The fellowship hall can be divided into two classrooms.
The new church, Steele said, will eliminate the two services the church has needed for several years. Already the worship area has been filled for the main 10:45 a.m. service, he said.
With about 600 active members and "still growing with lots of children," Pilgrim has the potential of doing more outreach to needy people with its new facilities, Steele said.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB