Submitted PhotoA rendering shows the proposed construction at Swilley Hill Church of God. 

DASHER — Swilley Hill Church of God has started the first phase of constructing a new worship building.

The current building can house up to 100 residents, but the new building will be able to seat up to 265 residents in the 5,528-square-foot building, said Bishop Andy Pearson, pastor of Swilley Hill Church of God.

Pearson has been at the church for about two years, he said. For the first six months to a year, the congregation averaged 10-20 people on Sunday mornings.

“Since we’ve gotten here, relatively quickly, we maxed out our capacity. I would say in the last year to year and a half, we average anywhere from 75-100 on a Sunday morning,” he said. “And it is very crowded, as you can imagine.”

The current church has 84 members on the book and has a first-time visitor 60 percent of the time the church meets, Pearson said.

“We are losing people now,” he said. “We’ve been losing people for at least eight months. The problem is that it is too crowded.”

The new building is in a phase which consists of the foundation, the steel building and the inside framing, he said. Phase one is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.

Pearson said he isn’t sure how long the project will take in total. Phase one was completed without any financing, so the church agreed to review the finances before committing to phase two.

Will Swilley deeded the two-acre property to the church in 1923, Pearson said. The church has never been in debt since it has been at its current location on Hickory Grove Road.

“It’s a biblical principle of good stewardship. We would prefer not to owe any man,” he said. “The Swilley Hill church has always operated that way.”

Pearson said he sees the growth of the church as a part of God’s plan for the area.

“There is, in my personal opinion, a legacy of unfulfilled potential that has existed at this church for a long time,” he said. “And we feel that that is now quickly coming to a close. The full potential of this property, this community church is just on the threshold of being realized. Jan. 1 will be 96 years when this property was formed as a church.

“A plan has a process, and we do feel that this is just another step in the process. Jesus Christ said himself that ‘upon this rock I will build my church,’ and we believe that God is always about building his church and this is just another step in the process.”

Pearson sees the expansion of the church as a way to help the church cope with its current growth and for the growth Pearson expects in Valdosta.

He said Valdosta has grown in the last 10 to 15 years. He said he expects that growth to continue during the next decade and is anticipating the church being closer to residential areas than it is now.

“You build new barns and then fill them up, you don’t wait until you need a new barn to fill it up,” Pearson said; he added with a laugh: “Which I guess isn’t really the case for us. We already need the barn.”

Swilley Hill is accepting donations for its new sanctuary at tithely.com, Pearson said.

“Look for Swilley Hill Church of God and donate there, or they can donate to our physical address,” he said.

Sunday school is 10 a.m.; Sunday service at 11 a.m.; Sunday evening service 6 p.m.; and Wednesday service 7 p.m. For more information, call Bishop Andy Pearson at (229) 444-7766.

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.