Religious Organization Seeking To Revitalize Old Winfield School Building

Huntsville, TN (2011-03-07) A local association of several Baptist churches is looking to renovate and reopen the old Winfield School Building as a Ministry Center.

The New River/McCreary County Missionary Baptist Association, a group of twenty member churches in Scott and McCreary Counties, petitioned the Building and Grounds Committee Monday night to negotiate a lease agreement by which the Association could renovate the old Winfield School Building, transforming it into the Appalachian Ministry Center. The goal of the Center is to provide services to citizens of the two Counties in a centralized location.

Some of the services tentatively being planned are work group housing for groups coming to the area to work on houses, public use facilities, and other such projects, as well as food and clothing ministries. If the Association can secure grant funding, the facility would also house a toddler school, a classroom environment for two and three year olds that would focus on enhancing early childhood reading skills. Additionally, the Association hopes to integrate the Winfield Public Library into the facility, which recently closed because of the lack of space in Winfield City Hall.

Commissioner Ron Blevins noted that while the idea seemed sound, a lease might not go far enough. “Have you thought about buying the building?” Blevins inquired. Verde (Buddy) Cope, Jr., who stood to represent the Association, said that was a possibility, and recommended the Committee form a subcommittee to negotiate terms of a lease or purchase option. To that end, Committee Chairman Sam Lyles recommended Commissioners Kenny Morrow and Blue Day, along with 5^th District Commissioners Harold Chambers and Paul Strunk, be named to the negotiating committee.

On a motion from Blevins and a second by Day, the Committee voted to recommend entering into negotiations with the Association to the full Commission.