WPBN: At one time, the address 805 Frontage Road was the location of a notorious adult entertainment club that was involved in a number of shootings and a significant legal dispute. After more than two years of operation, the club decided to close its doors, and the property was put up for sale.
A new purchaser entered the market with the intention of redefining the property’s troubled past. Fox Carolina was able to get a sneak peek inside the brand new building that Hope Church Greenville has moved into.
When we stepped in for the very first time, we were taken aback. There was a lot of work that needed to be done, but we had a vision,” stated Rich Butler, the Senior Pastor of Hope Church Greenville.
The vision of Pastor Butler began many years ago. For the past two years, they have been restricted to attending only one service on the Greenville First campus at five o’clock. They started looking for their own space and eventually found themselves on Frontage Road.
“We came and looked at it and after walking through we really just sensed a peace in our heart from the Lord that this is it. And so after some negotiation, instead of leasing it, we purchased it,” he stated.
Despite the fact that the property’s reputation was a source of inconvenience, the conditions were even more deplorable.
“We had to gut everything back to the walls, spray it all down, clean it up, get it to just a shell of a building and then we began to build Hope Church,” he stated.
Finally, the project’s idea has been brought to fruition and is now a reality.
The structure has been subjected to a full transformation, which includes a complete rehabilitation that included the demolition of the interior, the thorough cleaning of the premises, the repaving of the parking lot, and the construction of a second level.
This newly constructed floor has a worship hall that has the capacity to accommodate more than 665 individuals, a small chapel, and various classrooms.
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The outcome is that the area has been increased by an astonishing 13,000 square feet, which has resulted in the creation of a facility that is substantially larger and more functional.
Butler expressed excitement and optimism on the new purpose of the property, despite the fact that there are still a few finishing touches to be applied. He referred to it as a location that will bring about a sense of optimism and act as a guiding light for the community in terms of hope and revitalization.
“We say we’re a Christ-centered spirit-filled church, so we’re longing for the day that the stories that come out of this church will eclipse the stories that came out of this building previously,” he stated.
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It is scheduled for the 12th of January that the doors of Hope Church Greenville will open for the inaugural service. Services will be held at the church every Sunday at nine and eleven o’clock.
