Special to the News-Herald

On Sunday, Nov. 26, members and friends of Main Street Baptist Church gathered to witness the dedication of the land on which the future Samuel Richard Williams and Georgia Lacy Williams Mission Center will be built.

The sign, which identifies the site and includes a sketch of the future center, was also unveiled. Pastor James Mitchell Harrison led the services.

Plans are underway to construct the Center on the church’s property within the next three years.

The center will be named in honor of the church’s former pastor, the late Rev. Samuel Richard Williams, who served as pastor for 40 years and his wife, Georgia Lacy Williams.

Main Street Baptist Church was organized in 1881 in Smithfield, and has been serving in ministry as an effective spiritual and social witness for Christ since that time. The current facility is no longer adequate to serve the growing congregation and community population.

The Mission Center will provide much needed space for the various ministries in the church and better serve the needs of the congregants and local community. The Center will include educational, recreational, banquet and administrative space.

A future phase of the project will concentrate on improvements to the sanctuary.

To make the Mission Center a reality, the Church has embarked on a three year capital campaign to begin raising the funds needed for construction. The Church formally kicked off its &uot;Faith Walk Capital Stewardship Campaign&uot; at a very successful &uot;Faith Walk Banquet&uot; at the Smithfield Center on October 20th.

The hurch’s goal is to build a facility to meet present and future needs through a holistic

approach to ministry.