New Occupants Move into Landmark Church, New Programs and Space Planned for Community

L'Eglise Baptiste's move into the former Methodist church across the street will bring needed space to this growing church—and also new event rooms and services for the community.

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For seven years they searched.

As L'Eglise Baptiste de la Bible's congregation grew too large for its long-time College Ave. home, the Somerville church began looking for a new location. Their pastor, Rev. Dieudonné Raymond, searched North of Boston. Then he looked south. He even made an offer on a former Catholic church in New Hampshire. But in the end, L'Eglise found a new church a little bit closer—just across the street.

In July, L'Eglise Baptiste (Holy Bible Baptist Church) purchased the landmark former Methodist church at 64-70 College Ave. On Sunday, they held their first full service in the towering stone structure. The 1,200-capacity sanctuary was standing room only. Mayor Curtatone attended. It was the first time in more than a decade that the entire congregation could fit into the pews to share a single Sunday service at the same time.

"When we founded the church 23 years ago, we had just 20 members from Somerville and Cambridge. Now we have more than 500," said Raymond, noting that the church sometimes draws more than a 1,000 worshippers to special events.

"Over at 45 College Ave., we had to hold two Sunday services because we didn't have enough space," he added. "So some members never see each other. One thing I am excited about is to see the whole congregation together."

The move across the street came as a surprise. "The former pastor there, on two occasions, asked me to swap churches," said Raymond. "I didn't take him seriously. I thought he was joking."

But as the membership grew, drawing mainly from the Haitian-American community, Raymond also turned down a clearly serious offer from United Methodist to sell the church.

"We wanted a place with parking, and just like at 45 College Ave., the Methodist church has no parking," he said. "But it turned out that God had other plans."

After two years of negotiations, L'Eglise purchased the Methodist church on July 1. The United Methodist Church congregation now worships a block down at Unity Church of God. L'Eglise's own white clapboard building, which they have occupied since 1985, will be rented out, preferably to another religious organization.

New community uses and programs planned

Inside the newly renovated 45,000-square-foot structure, Raymond walks from room to room describing their new uses. "This room will be the daycare….Here we will offer ESL classes," he says.

And he goes on, detailing plans for new senior citizen programs, afterschool activities and citizenship classes for new immigrants. The basketball court inside the church will now be used by church youths. Numerous event spaces, including a 300-capacity function room, will also eventually be available for rent by others for group meetings, classes and events. Office space will be rented as well.

"We don't want to only serve our God here, but we also want to serve our community," said Raymond.

For 25 years, the United Methodist Church subsidized a homeless shelter in the building, which is run by the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The shelter will stay. But L'Eglise has asked for $25,000 toward the cost of the space.

Homeless Coalition Executive Director Mark Alston-Follansbee called it an "entirely reasonable" request. "We have met with members of the church and they are very open and supportive of keeping the shelter," he wrote to members in a recent fundraising letter. "But they need us to pay for some of our expenses; they don't have the endowment our previous hosts enjoyed."

New collaboration with area nonprofits is also planned to establish a French Creole-English Institute to offer ESL courses, as well as new services to new immigrants.

To expand their outreach to the non-Haitian-American population—as well as the younger Haitian-American generation—services will now be also offered in English as well as the previously offered services in French and Haitian Creole. And Raymond is hopeful the parking problem will work itself out.

"God has his plan for the future for this problem. If he can solve this one," he said referring to finding a new church, "he can solve the next one."