The Georgia Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee has voted to entertain any valid offers for a potential sale of its six-year-old Baptist Missions and Ministry Center and 43 acres of property.
The Georgia Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee has voted to entertain any valid offers for its Baptist Missions and Ministry Center and 43 acres of property. The building is shown in this 2006 photo shortly after construction.GBC executive director J. Robert White, citing interest from realtors and private entities in recent years, made the recommendation to the Executive Committee during its mid-March meeting. The committee’s consensus vote permits White to schedule exploratory site visits with potential buyers.
White later told The Christian Index, the convention’s newsjournal, that the building is not being listed for sale.
“The building and its location speaks for itself, so we have no reason to list it,” White said. “The property is highly desirable and grows with interest on a regular basis.”
The 43 acres of prime real estate across from the massive Gwinnett Arena sports and entertainment complex and the Chamber of Commerce on Sugarloaf Parkway have been a key factor in the site’s popularity.
“We are not bankrupt, and we are up-to-date on all our financial obligations,” White emphasized to head off any speculation regarding the recommendation. Since the 2008 recession, the state convention has trimmed its budget by $11.8 million, or 22.56 percent. Staffing levels in the building, which peaked at 133 just three years ago, have been cut to 103. The latest round of cutbacks occurred in late January when 18 positions were eliminated statewide.
But the latest financial figures released at the GBC Executive Committee meeting March 13 show that, so far this year, income is up sharply for the period ending Feb. 29. The convention is showing an increase of $802,853 or 16.52 percent from the same period in 2011, which posted a decrease of $756,292 or 13.46 percent.
White said criticism of the building also led him to consider making the request of the Executive Committee, though it was not the driving factor. He said he knew the building had become a hindrance to some and did not want that to be a roadblock toward cooperation.
“We can do our work anywhere, even in a field with a tent,” he said. “But I can’t help but be impressed by the number of people who continue to express an interest in our property.”
If Georgia Baptists decided to sell the property, White said it would not be at “fire sale prices. God has given us a treasure here, and we will fully protect the convention’s interest in the property. We will wait for the best possible offer.”
White said Georgia Baptists constructed the building for $43.5 million and owe $26 million on the property.
– Westbury is managing editor of The Christian Index (www.christianindex.org), newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention.