Oban Baptist Church is getting ready to launch a massive fundraiser to fund its new building.
Before Covid, architects estimated the project would cost about £1.2m but costs will have gone up since then, says Pastor Stuart Lawson.
“It’s a big project, but we are very excited about it. There’s real heart in the congregation for it and I think in the community as well. We are really touched by the Facebook posts and a lot of positive messages from the community groups run in the present building by the church or hosted in the premises. We are so grateful for their support.
“How long will it take? We don’t know. We will be having a meeting with architects and others to work out our next steps. It will be about enjoying the fundraising, all the events, the cake bakes and 100 different other ways and directions of bringing in the funds. We had a rough estimate of £1.2m before Covid but we don’t know how much it will have gone up by.
“We want people to feel it is their building and that they are part of it,” he added.
Approval was given on November 22 to demolish the current Oban Baptist Church, making way for its new building to fit its growing congregation.
Plans for the new church and community building on Albany Street had attracted 12 letters of objection and 48 in support.