Alaska church continues renovations

Top: Construction volunteers
Bottom: Mount Pleasant Baptist Church’s sanctuary

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Fairbanks, Alaska, is renovating a building to be its permanent home, with support from Dr. Alonzo Patterson Jr., American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) coordinator of Alaska Ministries, and the congregation that he pastors.

As part of American Baptist Churches of Alaska, Mount Pleasant began meeting in 2005, moving from rental to rental, including a space at the National Guard Armory. In 2010, under the leadership of the Rev. Joe Blackburn, the church purchased and began renovating an old metal-framed warehouse. While the project has come far—the sanctuary and other rooms are currently in use—construction continues on classrooms and community rooms, as funds are raised.

Patterson’s church, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Anchorage, donated more than $65,000 to the renovation, while Shiloh’s men have donated construction materials and hands-on skills. In addition, Shiloh has fed and housed the construction volunteers.

“The church [Mount Pleasant] purchased it [the warehouse] for the sum of three quarters of 1 million dollars, after having moved several times to find a place to worship. God led the church to purchase and renovate this building,” says Patterson. “The church made an effort to get a loan through a bank but did not qualify, so they sought resources within the state of Alaska—along with the genius of pastor Blackburn to develop resources—to transform this warehouse into a sanctuary for the Lord.”

Learn more about Patterson and ABHMS’ Alaska Ministries online.