Church in Cape sells buildings to SEMO

The oldest Baptist congregation in Cape Girardeau welcomed a new beginning after voting Sunday to sell its property to Southeast Missouri State University.

Following their morning service, 92 percent of about 200 members at First Baptist Church of Cape Girardeau voted to sell the church campus, located south of Houck Stadium, for $3.5 million.

The church will continue to use the 77-year-old sanctuary for 30 months, under a nominal lease. Pastor Jay White said new locations for the church have been looked at but nothing is official.

"It's like the wilderness experience in Exodus," he said during Sunday's sermon. "Either way we go, we will be taking a journey."

A member for 20 years, Bob Robins, 68, voted in favor of the sale but still felt some sadness.

"There's a lot of history there, but we can't do things backwards," he said. "We have to do things looking forward."

As a chairman on a committee that looks to reduce the church's utilities and maintenance costs, he said they were spending money on more space than they needed. A smaller building would free money to finance missions projects.

"The church is the people," said church member Rachel Palis, 72. "It's not the building."

The congregation is 160 years old, in its third location.

Moving memories

Sunday's vote was two days after Palis's 43rd anniversary as a church member. She initially didn't want to move because of the memories of her family and the activities, she said.

Her turning point came during a meeting when she was asked to express her feelings in a letter to God. "In writing this letter, I realized that I could do all these things, these activities in other places," she said. "They didn't have to be in this building."

Palis is also a Southeast alumni, with a bachelor's in elementary education and a master's in special education. "The sanctuary is a historic building," she said. "It think it's great that it's going to be a part of the campus."

University president Dr. Ken Dobbins said he was very pleased with the vote.

"I thought it was a very fair agreement for the university and the First Baptist Church," he said.

The university will attain use of the activity center, the education building and most of the parking spaces on July 1. The activity center will become the university's Student Recreation Center Annex, a facility for the campus's southern end. Dobbins said the facility should be open in the fall after minor renovations.

It will include academic support services for the university's athletes, an indoor practice facility for the softball and baseball teams, a women's softball locker room and student recreational sports including fitness programs, basketball and roller hockey.

The education building will house an expanded child development center and a technology innovation center. Dobbins said renovation will begin once Gov. Bob Holden signs an economic development and transportation bill, which allows for the innovation center.

After the church moves out of the sanctuary Dec. 31, 2005, it will house the alumni and fund-raising offices, coaches offices and athletics department marketing staff.

jmetelski@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 226