Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

July 10, 2008 issue

First Presbyterian Church Cost: $7.5 Million

Congregation’s Deadline to Move July 1, 2011

Story by Celeste von ManganThe First Presbyterian Church of Boone supports the Westminster Canterbury Fellowship that offers programs on Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as retreats and special programs year round for ASU students. The building that housed the fellowship will be demolished in the near future, and First Presbyterian members removed several hundred bricks just before the official closing of the property sale to Appalachian on June 30. Although the brick removal was primarily symbolic, the bricks will be used as part of a structure at the site of the new church in the Deerfield Meadows Business Park. Dr. Ronald Bowie, pastor of First Presbyterian, is seeking an alternative building or space for the student ministry on the ASU campus. Photo courtesy of First Presbyterian Church

“The decision was made to pursue this sale when there was no way to pursue the ministry of the First Presbyterian Church in town, ” said Kelvin Gryder, clerk of session at First Presbyterian Church of Boone. “Nothing else seemed feasible. The purchase price from ASU was 7.5 million dollars. We are leasing our building back from ASU for three years—that’s our deadline to move, July 1, 2011.”

The sale included slightly more than 1.8 acres, two parking lots, the church building on Howard Street and a house owned by the church.

“The small house across the street from the church was used for the campus ministry,” said Gryder. “ASU will most likely demolish it, but the church building will not be demolished as was originally planned. It is in better shape than they originally thought and will be used for a lecture hall and offices. The parking lot would become staging for the new building—their new education building.”
Dr. Ronald Bowie, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, said a group of 11 people in the church congregation is gathering ideas and deciding how the new facility will look.

“We have an architectural search going on and we are in the process of committing to one of the firms,” said Dr. Bowie. “We’ll submit plans to the congregation for approval, and after the bids are received there will be the groundbreaking ceremony. All of the time schedules are very fluid right now except for the deadline to be moved. In the meantime, we will operate within the confines of 663 Howard Street where we are right now.”

The church’s purchase of property in the Deerfield Meadows Business Park and its move to the new acreage, Dr. Bowie said, will give the church room to grow in ways it never could have done if the church remained on Howard Street.

“The current property has 1.8 acres and the new one has 12 acres. There is space for boys and girls to run and to play,” he said. “We can also worship outdoors, have walking trails, picnics and do the things the church only dreamed of before. The church will also continue to financially support the campus ministry. Tommy Brown is the campus minister and we will continue to have a relationship with him. The church is looking for space on campus for the student ministry, and there will also be space available at the new facility for campus use.”

Both Gryder and Dr. Bowie stated that the personnel and staff at the university have been cooperative and gracious in all of their church-related conversations.
“I’m very excited for the congregation,” added Dr. Bowie. “I just feel very blessed to be part of this community and part of the church at this time in its history.”
Dr. Bowie began his pastorate with First Presbyterian 15 years ago.