CLEVELAND - It was a time of celebration Sunday night at Cleveland Worship Center, not just a time to worship the Lord, but a time to celebrate a partnership deal between the church and Truett-McConnell College.
The college has agreed to purchase the church building on East Kytle Street in Cleveland and adjacent facility in what both say is a dream come true for both.
Cleveland Worship Center Senior Pastor, the Rev. Marc Turner, said it started with a casual discussion about the facility and now they are helping each other by completing the deal.
Cleveland Worship Center about 20 years ago purchased a piece of property at 453 Helen Highway with the desire to build a new worship facility there. Turner said since then church leaders have been patient.
“With the process sometimes it takes time and when the opportunity was presented that Truett had interest in this particular facility, it’s a dream come true," Turner said. "I believe we are one step closer to the reality of this coming and taking place and I believe this will be a partnership that will go for generations with Cleveland Worship Center and Truett-McConnell College."
Following a time of praise and worship, TMC President Dr. Emir Caner, Turner and the church deacon board signed the necessary papers to complete the deal.
Caner said with the continued growth of the college and the need for additional room for activities it’s more than just a dream come true for them.
Speaking during a social gathering in the church fellowship hall after the signing of documents, Caner said, "Being out of space and trying to figure out what to do, and all of a sudden the church opens up its heart to consider the possibility of us moving here and it’s sort of the perfect platform. The auditorium will act as a recital hall, of course the offices will be typical, this will be a banquet hall, we don’t even have a banquet hall right now, classrooms in the back. So, it’s as if the Lord built this church for the first 60 years to be what it is right now and built it for us afterwards."
The college agreed to allow the church to share the facilities with them for up to 14 months.
Turner said the church already has begun the process of working with Ron Cantrell Construction of Cleveland obtaining building plans, and hopes to break ground for the new church facility sometime around the first of next year.
