Cadiz Baptist renovating sanctuary with honor to past

CADIZ, Ky. (KT) -- Cadiz Baptist Church is in the process of a significant renovation to its sanctuary, coming on the heels of the demolition this past winter of a chapel that had served as the sanctuary for years. The renovation will not only upgrade the facility, but will honor the church's past.

Pastor Justin Carter said work on the current sanctuary, which was built in the 1970s, involves "fixing things that needed to be fixed," including new carpet and seating, repairing walls, repainting and new sound and video system.

But he said honoring the past will include utilizing four small stained glass windows from the old chapel (sanctuary). "We will incorporate those -- two will be in the foyer of the current sanctuary we are renovating, and two we will save for later."

Carter said the church had voted seven or eight years ago -- years before he became the pastor -- to tear the old chapel down. It was built in 1903.

Carter, who grew up in a rural church in Daviess County, said he has experienced what it is like to have a building torn down that has many personal memories.

Remembering his home church, he said its sanctuary was built in 1906 and was torn down and a new sanctuary built. "What helped me to soften what we are doing here was remembering the awesome memories I had in that (Owensboro area) church. I was able to share with people that I understand the emotions they have. I told them we were not trying to tear something down because we don't care.

"We're trying to incorporate the (stained glass) windows into the foyer -- trying to do some things to be mindful of the lives changed in that old sanctuary. In the end, it was just a building, but an important building in the lives of people in Cadiz. We want to do a good job of honoring it."

Carter will mark his fourth anniversary at Cadiz Baptist this November." Our family fits in real well here -- we love small towns. Our boys love the school system, and the church has done well. We have good relationships here and have been able to lead the church into the community and to serve the community around us. What we really focused on the first few years is being in the community and not just being the church on the hill. We've been loving on the people in Cadiz, and we feel the community knows Cadiz Baptist loves them and is here for them.

"The previous pastors here did that as well, so the church had a good solid foundation. When we came, we tried to continue what God was doing."

While noting the renovation "is not anything spectacular," he said it is a needed step to continuing the effective ministry of the church that was constituted in 1842.