DUNNELLON–First Baptist Church of Dunnellon’s new building may look like a traditional type of church from the outside, but the inside just may surprise you. The floor doesn’t slope down toward the stage, and there are no rows of wooden pews.
The new 26,000-square-foot building is a large multipurpose facility that can be used for everything from weekly church services to banquets and even basketball games. As a worship facility, the building can accommodate about 780.
“Our goal was to have a multipurpose use facility,” said Pastor Russ Randall, even though some members preferred the more traditional approach. “We just couldn’t see spending that kind of money for something we’d only use three hours a week. Let’s use it as many hours during the week as we can.”
Since opening the new building the first weekend of April, First Baptist Church of Dunnellon has hosted Sunday services, its first Easter services, a sports banquet, weekly Bible studies, a monthly men’s steak supper, and two school spring productions that previously had to be held at another church due to space constraints. The new facility also has a wing of classroom space for adult Bible study gatherings and a separate wing for youth and children’s classes that incorporates modern safeguards for checking children in and out.
Randall said the new facility has been in the works for about 15 years as the church began to plan for how to accommodate the expected growth in and around Dunnellon. “How do we put ourselves in a position to be able to really share the gospel in an effective way?” he asked. “We knew space was going to be an issue and that we were probably going to have to relocate.”
It took some time to find the right piece of property. Several spots that church leaders initially looked at did not make the final cut. The new church is on 38 acres located less than a mile from the former church building. This marks the third building for the church, which was founded in 1899.
Next, they hired Mike Wilburn of Local Engineering, Inc., as lead engineer for this project. In addition to his engineering degree, he has two Masters of Theology degrees from Liberty University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he studied the effects remodeling and rebuilding can have on church growth.
“We found a kindred spirit in our engineer and our contractor. That was a neat thing that God put together,” Randall said.
The project, including property and construction, cost about $7 million, the majority of which came from the estate of a church member who wanted the funds used for this purpose.
In addition to using the multipurpose space for basketball, the church is also hoping to use its property for soccer and perhaps other sports.
“Our hope is that we would see a children’s sports ministry here where we could really reach out to the community through sports, Bible studies and different activities,” he said. “We look forward to seeing how we can use this to honor God in our community and bring folks into the kingdom.”
First Baptist Church of Dunnellon is not alone in choosing this style for its new church building. A 2023 survey by the National Association of Church Design Builders revealed that 72% of congregations want their buildings to serve multiple functions, yet only 31% have spaces properly equipped for varied use.
The next project is to remodel its former church building into a new space for the church’s school, Dunnellon Christian Academy, which currently has students in K3 through 8th grade. The first phase calls for remodeling the building built in 1967 to be more like a school and less like a church. A second phase to be completed in the future would be to build a new high school building that would include a gym and classrooms for what will be Dunnellon Christian High School.
While the new facility is modern, Randall said they were able to incorporate a few artifacts from the previous building, including a large communion table, which has been placed in the foyer beneath a 20-foot cross. Plans also call for a large church bell believed to be from the first building built back in 1899 to be placed in a circular drive on the campus along with a 100-foot cross.
“In our adult wing we have a long hallway, and we have folks who are working on the history of our church,” Randall said. “We hope to install a historic timeline on that wall, so the next generation has a chance to know about it as well. “
Sunday attendance currently runs about 400 for the one service, which used to be split over two services. With such a large number in one service, Randall found himself unable to accomplish his goal of making eye contact or shaking hands with everyone in attendance. Now the church has a First Impressions Team that includes people in the parking lot and foyer, and deacons inside the church to greet and welcome each person who attends.
“We’ve had to employ some other things so that people get that touch and welcome,” Randall said. “Our goal is that anyone who walks in would receive a minimum of about seven contacts with someone. That can make such a difference in whether someone comes back or feels welcome.”
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