FAIRHOPE — Sunday at 10 a.m., First Baptist Church of Fairhope, led by the Rev. Dr. Jerry Henry, will formally dedicate its new sanctuary.

“This church building was an everybody moment. Everyone contributed; it is a result of everyone’s sacrificial giving,” Henry, church pastor, said, adding, “However, it was also a work of God and without His blessing, this building would have been built in vain.”

The building has been three years in construction. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 29, 2004.

The impetus for the new facility was an accidental fire that broke out at the back of the old sanctuary shortly before the Wednesday evening prayer meeting on Oct. 29, 2003. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and though the building was not consumed by the fire, the damage sustained was such the building had to be condemned. When plans for the new sanctuary were finalized, the north building, which had been the church’s original sanctuary, had to be torn down to make room for the new addition.

“I am so proud of the pastor, staff and people of the First Baptist Church of Fairhope! said the Rev. Dr. Drew J. Gunnells Jr., retired pastor of Spring Hill Baptist Church of Mobile. “They literally rose from ashes, battling difficulty after difficulty. In the midst of this adversity, they remained faithful to their mission. This new worship center is a testimony to their faith in God and love for all people and their hope for the future.”

Gunnells, who served as interim pastor at FBC Fairhope from 2000 to 2001, will see the new building for the first time Sunday morning when he will take part in the dedication service. “I can’t wait!” he said.

While the new building was under construction, church services were held in a variety of places, which elicited frequent comments from church leadership that FBC Fairhope was “the church on the move.” Services were held at the Fairhope Civic Center, Fairhope High School, the James P. Nix Center, the Fairhope City gymnasium and even the public beach by the Municipal Pier. Mayor Tim Kant has been invited to speak during the ceremony.

The new 54,600-square-foot addition to the church campus was designed by CTSM Architects of Birmingham, Ala.

“It is a traditional building with state-of-the-art ministry support features,” said Lawrence Corley, architect. “The sanctuary, with its harp-shaped balcony, is arranged so that a maximum of 1,500 worshipers can be almost as close to the pulpit as they would have been in the old sanctuary, which seated half that many,” he said, adding that the sanctuary includes curved, stained wood pews and a very large stained-glass window behind the baptistry that was designed and installed by Willet Hauser Architectural Glass of Philadelphia, Pa.

“The craftsmanship and attention to detail given by general contractor J.F. Pate and Associates is truly exemplary,” Corley said.

He said the project includes a two-story educational area, a 400-square-foot fellowship hall and 200-square-foot youth theater. It also includes the renovation of the south educational building to provide an invigorating environment for the children’s ministry, Corley added.

CTSM has designed more than 200 church buildings in six states from Wisconsin to Central Florida, Corley said.

“This is one of the five largest sanctuaries we have designed. It is probably more refined and classic than most. I think what impressed me the most is the congregation’s tenacity and determination to do it right for generations to come rather than just getting a place to return to worship.”

According to Ron Mitchell, chairman of the project financial and legal subcommittee, the total cost of the addition is a little more than $12 million. Total financial gifts from the congregation total around $5 million, he said. The church also received about $3.4 million in proceeds from its insurance policy.

“We want this building to be a blessing to this generation, but also to future generations,” said Henry. He referred to a statement by Beth Moore, a Christian women’s conference leader: “When we applaud God, he gives us an encore.”

“We applaud God for what He has done in building this building, but we applaud Him for what He is going to do,” Henry said. “This will be a place where people find Jesus Christ as their Savior.”

The public is invited to attend the service and churchwide lunch that follows.