At the Board of Aldermen meeting last week, the City of Starkville found two church properties in violation of city codes, and gave them 60 days to bring the areas to compliance.
The two churches are Antioch Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church. During the meeting, City Planning and Community Development Director Buddy Sanders showed the board a video and photos of the properties. It depicted Antioch Baptist Church with busted windows, unhinged shingles and growing vines on one side.
About a year ago, Antioch Baptist Church was inspected and designated a state of disrepair. The city was told improvements would be made, but no work was done to fix the church.
Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins said the city has consistently enforced laws and ordinances, and said the building does not get special treatment because it is a church.
“It is very unfortunate that this is a house of God,” Perkins said. “I fully support churches. I stand by churches and want them to do their best. Of course, I believe in grace and mercy, but here the time has expired.”
He said the city has been patient with Antioch Baptist Church, but it must enforce the law.
Perkins said beautification is one of the city’s top priorities, spending “millions of dollars” on the area where the church is located. He said the church is not aesthetically pleasing and is in terrible condition.
“I’ve visited this site very recently, and this property is certainly in a very dilapidated state,” Perkins said. “This board that is sitting has taken very strenuous measures to improve the quality of life and appearance in our city…We cannot just sit idle and allow this dilapidated structure to remain as-is.”
Antioch Baptist Church Pastor Mary Carr said she is aware the 105-year-old church needs to be improved, but it has faced some obstacles which have prevented progress.
“There has always been a longing and a heart desire to fix the church, but due to death of members, decreasing membership and lack of financial support, we find ourselves in this situation at hand,” said Carr.
She said they plan to address the infrastructure, make upgrades and stabilize the roof. She said a group, which wishes to remain nameless, has stepped forward to fix the roof.
The BOA voted to give the church until Jan. 16, 2018, to come up with a report.
While Second Baptist Church’s building is sound, the BOA said a section of its property is violating city codes. The church started a construction project two years ago to expand the building, but the soil has not been touched since. The church has been tied up in litigation with the original contractor, which has paused construction.
Sanders said there is a safety issue with chert, a specific type of sedimentary rock, laying around in piles, pipes sticking out of the ground and tall vegetation.
Perkins said he has received many complaints about the property and called the area an “eyesore.”
“This is not the Second Baptist that this community is used to,” Perkins said. “A lot of my friends who were members of this church. If they were living this mess wouldn’t be there.”
Second Baptist Church Pastor Joseph Stone asked the BOA to understand the situation.
“I’m simply asking the board to be considerate of the members of our church,” Stone said. “We are in litigation, we do know something needs to be done with the building construction project. I’m asking that you allow me to have serious business for Dec. 10, allow me to place it on the agenda and let the congregation decide whether or not to apply for a building permit, or whether or not to cover as it’s been proposed, putting out grass seeds.”
Alderman Ben Carver said the BOA should give Second Baptist Church more than 60 days to solve the issue.
“I think that it didn’t need to be pushed tonight,” Carver said. “It’s not time-sensitive, in my opinion. Given a 60-day extension, I don’t know that any litigation is going to be solved within 60 days.”
He also said the public should not have been made aware of the issue.
“My thoughts on this are, in total honesty, I kind of wish it never would have been brought to the public spectrum. I guess it’s a sad day when you’re brought to a board meeting to discuss something on a church matter,” Carver said.
Alderman Jason Walker said the remedial action for the church would be to cover the bare soil with seed, let it take root and when the church gets a new building permit, the seed can be removed and construction can start.
“I’m as hopeful as any of you that y’all are going to get through this process and you’re going to expand your church and you’re going to continue to be a vibrant church,” Walker said.
The BOA voted to allow the churches to have 60 days to comply to the city’s codes, and there will be a public hearing on the issues Dec. 7.