Solid Rock Apostolic Pentecostal Church moves into new building
The Rev. Leslie Fuller is proud of the congregation of Solid Rock Apostolic Pentecostal Church, which recently moved into a new building in German Township. “We did all the work ourselves,’ said Fuller of the one-story beige-siding and stone building, located at 3320 Old McClellandtown Road, off Routes 21 and 166.
Fuller also credited Arky Lent, husband to former member Gloria, who died last year, with being adviser to the project.
A formal dedication is planned for the church in June, but the congregation has been using the building since January.
Fuller recently offered a tour of the building, showing the care and consideration that was used to plan and construct the church.
“I’m proud of them. They worked so hard,’ he said.
Solid Rock can trace its beginnings back seven years.
“We’ve been together since 1998 in Brownsville at the home of Kenny Veach, a member of the congregation,’ said Fuller
Explaining the name of the church, the pastor commented, “We go back to the Bible to what Jesus taught his disciples. We’re apostolic in teaching and Pentecostal in experience.’
The church bought the 5-acre German Township property in 1999 and cleared the land in 2000. A bar formerly stood on the site, and the congregation salvaged pieces, such as bricks, blocks and ductwork, to cut down expenses in the new church.
“We worked on a budget,’ he noted.
But the Solid Rock congregation didn’t scrimp on their church. The handicapped-accessible, 180-by-50-foot building is beautiful and well planned with room to grow.
Solid Rock has a 125-by-180-foot blacktop parking lot, which is lighted. The front of the church includes brown sandstone and a roof and porch for cover from the elements.
Visitors will step inside to a large foyer, where the congregation can gather before and after services. The floor there and in the restrooms is made of sandstone brown ceramic tile.
The 80-by-50-foot sanctuary can hold 300 comfortably. The altar and pulpit both feature stone work from North Carolina Ridge Rock.
The church also features five classrooms, an office and a fellowship hall for social events.
Fuller said the church has plans to build a larger sanctuary on the back of the church and turn the current sanctuary into a fellowship hall. The current sanctuary has already been fitted with outlets to permit this conversion. The present fellowship hall would be turned into a quarters for visiting evangelists.
“We figured build it one time and do it right,’ said Fuller.
The congregation also benefited from the volunteers who helped with the building of the church, including visiting evangelists.
“We’ve had evangelists from Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia, and while they were here, they helped pound a nail and hung dry wall,’ said Fuller.
The congregation also received several donations or discounted prices on some building materials. The 38 pews were turned over to the church from a storage company in Illinois for simply paying the storage fee on the pews, which were left unclaimed by another church. The floor tile was donated by a man from Clarksville, Tenn. A family gave a one-time donation of $6,500 in memory of Josephine Knight, who had been a church member.
The congregation behind this church numbers about 70 and is on the rise. The members range from their 70s to children and come from Brownsville, Uniontown, Point Marion, East Millsboro and McClellandtown.
All the while the congregation was building this new church, however, they kept up their commitments to their missions.
“In six years, we’ve donated over $100,000 to foreign missions,’ said Fuller.
And they continue to think of others. Fuller mentioned that youth member April Alkire was spearheading a collection for tsunami victims.
Solid Rock offers services on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The church holds prayer every night at 6 p.m. and a prayer meeting Fridays at 9 p.m.
“It’s open to whoever will come,” Fuller said.
For more information on Solid Rock, call Fuller at 724-785-3457 or 724-984-7060. The church is working on a Web site.