Church displaced by Walmart moving to Columbia County

Staff Writer

SARA CALDWELL/STAFF

Bryan Matthews serves as the pastor of New Life Christian Center, which recently began a campaign to raise money to build a 65,000-square-foot facility.

SPECIAL

A computer rendering shows a new building on Lewiston Road planned by New Life Christian Center. The church, which is currently located at 3336 Wrightsboro Road, recently began a capital fundraising campaign to build the new 65,000-square-foot building.

A 1,500-member church plans to move to a new site in Columbia County in spring 2013 when its building is torn down for a new Walmart Supercenter on Wrightsboro Road.

New Life Christian Center, 3336 Wrightsboro Road, recently began a capital fundraising campaign to build a 65,000-square-foot building on Lewiston Road about a mile from Interstate 20, Pastor Bryan Matthews said.

Money from the sale of the property to Walmart will be added to its $3 million fundraising goal to build the facility, which will cost $5 million to $7 million, Matthews said.

The land were moving to, weve had for 16 years, he said. We knew at some point in our future we would be moving to that location.

Walmart approached the church last summer about building a 152,000-square-foot store on its property near North Leg Road. The company announced plans for the store in January and has since said construction should start in March 2013.

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Church displaced by Walmart moving to Columbia County