Religion

JACKSONVILLE — The changes were so subtle as to be almost invisible.

First there was the familiar sign hailing those cruising down Alabama 21 on their way into Jacksonville. Once a faded orange eyesore, now it’s stark, black-and-white façade forces passing drivers to pause, aware that something’s different.

Then there were the cars. Only a few at first — pickup trucks mostly — scattered like matchsticks across the enormous parking lot. Slowly, over the grueling summer months more and more appeared, carrying on mysterious tasks inside the cavernous building that once held so many good memories for people.

We take for granted that what once was will always be.

But last Sunday an otherwise quiet transformation that began back in April became more overt when a vacant Jacksonville icon was resurrected.

The Old Henry Farms, known to everyone simply as “The Barn,” has been given a new purpose in life. It’s now going to be known as Eagle Point Church, a “second campus” ministry of Jacksonville’s First Baptist Church.

Purchased by the church in April for $1.2 million, the 13,600 square-foot former restaurant will become a sanctuary for younger worshippers — the seekers, the disenfranchised and those who don’t necessarily feel comfortable in a conventional church setting.

“It’s not the most obvious choice for a church,” says Charles Duggan, walking his pomeranian, Molly, on the opposite side of the street from the hulking structure. “But who knows. ’Course, anything’s better than a big ol’ abandoned building.

“Still … a church? That’ll take a little getting used to.”

Derek Staples, pastor for Jacksonville First Baptist Church, knows holding services in what once upon a time was a dairy barn is a long way from traditional. But that was why The Barn made sense.

“It’s definitely unique and unexpected,” Staples says, standing in the greeting area of Eagle Point. “But this is still a ministry of First Baptist Church. We wanted to remove any and all barriers that might keep someone from coming through the doors and giving us the opportunity to reach out to them.”

And location recognition certainly isn’t an issue, adds Eagle Point worship leader Zack Casey.

“We never have to explain where we are,” he says over the thunderous metallic rattle of volunteers working in a nearby kitchen. “Just say, ‘The Barn’ and everybody already knows. Plus, it’s so historic that it automatically draws people.”

If that first Sunday is any indication, the curiosity factor works. Staples and Casey estimated that about 238 people turned out for the 10 a.m. service and a total of about 700 attended the three combined services, including those at the Baptist Church.

And that was on a Talladega race weekend.

“That’s our biggest single-day turnout other than on Easter,” Staples says.

Casey, who leads services at Eagle Point, enjoyed the reaction from those walking in for the first time, their minds trying to grasp the transformation.

“People were taken aback,” he says with a slight grin. “And I think a lot of people had their doubts at first. But afterwards everyone seemed pleased and excited about the future.”

Eagle Point is the linchpin of a three-year stewardship campaign called “Think Big,” in which First Baptist Church aims to “saturate Jacksonville with the love of Christ.” While the new location will focus on the youth, there is also an $800,000 renovation project for the current North Campus facility, the original First Baptist Church, which is on Seventh Street in Jacksonville.

“Our goal is to wrap our arms around Jacksonville,” Staples says, “and to offer the love of Jesus Christ to everyone.”

And while the $1.2 million price tag could be seen as steep, it’s nothing compared to what the cost would have been for building a new facility, Staples says.

“To do roughly the same square footage that we’ve got downtown,” he says, “we’re talkin’ somewhere around $10 million. We simply couldn’t afford that.”

So the purchase of The Barn afforded the congregation with plenty of room to grow.

“We want to be open to changes that can come as we grow,” Staples says. “Nothing’s set in stone. It’s big, but we’re only going to utilize what we can use. As long as we’re creative in looking at worship options … space-wise, we’re good.”

At first glance, to those familiar with The Barn as it once was, it would appear little has changed. Walking in, it still resembles a restaurant with several tables pushed along one wall. This will serve as a meet-and-greet area, where people can gather, drink coffee and visit before the service.

The real transformation is in what used to be the main dining area. It’s now known as the Camp Eagle Point. Gone are the individual stalls where people used to eat, now the long cavernous area is decorated like a forest with a painted mural, concrete pillars disguised as trees and a large tent in the center. This is where the kids in first through fourth grade will gather.

Through the tall wooden doors is the nursery, also known as The Eagle’s Nest. Complete with segmented areas for the different age groups and a computerized sign-in station, this is where babies ranging in age from newborns to kindergarteners can play.

“Our earliest focus was to provide adequate access and good security,” Staples says. “But also to not do something that would hinder us in the future. This spot is so wide open … there’s just no telling what God has in store for us.”

Worship services are on the third floor, which is accessible either by stairs or elevators, in the banquet area previously called The Loft. Rather than pews, the v-shaped sanctuary with a stage in the center has row upon row of chairs, providing seating for upwards of 300.

As for the famous concrete silos — they are a part of the bar area that will eventually be renovated into a coffee shop.

For Casey, who watched as Eagle Point come to life over the past six months, there was never any doubt that such a unique venue would be a success.

“It’s been a gradual process,” he says. “But when I saw how full it was and looked out to all those new faces, that’s when I knew this was going to work. We’re going to reach a lot of people.”

Admitting that it’s a leap of faith for his congregation to invest in such a non-traditional church, Staples concedes to the risks but is much more focused on the potential rewards.

“We may fall flat on our faces, but we’re gonna have a good time trying,” he says. “But I believe that God has confirmed, in little steps along the way, that this is what he has planned for us.”

The link

www.eaglepointchurchonline.com

If you go

Eagle Point Church
301 Henry Rd SW, Jacksonville
Services — Sunday, 10 a.m.
For more information, call 644-0515

‘The Barn’ … a history

Icons aren’t born, they’re forged over time and circumstance.

The late Jacksonville historian Jack Boozer traced the roots of what would become Old Henry Farm restaurant, also known as “The Barn,” to James Ainsley Stevenson, a planter from Columbus, S.C., who purchased the property in 1852 and established a 1,400- acre farm.

At one time, Stevenson had as many as 100 slaves working his property, making him one of the area’s largest slave owners. When Stevenson died after the Civil War, the farm passed out of his family.

C.B. Henry, a lumberman and multimillionaire from New Hampshire, bought the plantation as a summer residence around 1910. Henry, who was a partner in Jacksonville’s Profile Cotton Mill, also built a state-of-the-art dairy farm for around $35,000.

The plantation once again passed on, this time to another prominent businessman, W.I. Greenleaf, whose family held the title until 1971 when the City of Jacksonville purchased the remaining 269 acres for $165,000.

Over the years, the city sold off portions of the farm. Jacksonville Hospital was built on some of the property in 1976, and the Alabama State Trooper post opened in 1977.

As for the icon known simply as “The Barn,” that was purchased by Ron Stancill in 1994. He spent more than $2 million renovating the property, along with its seven acres, eventually transforming it into the Old Henry Farm restaurant.

But after years of struggle, The Barn was foreclosed on in February of 2007, when Colonial Bank acquired the property in auction for $636,413.

Finally, in April of 2008, Jacksonville First Baptist Church bought the property for $1.2 million and spent an additional $50,000 to purchase everything inside — including tables, chairs, sound equipment, commercial ovens and freezers.