The congregation of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Lake Orion have had some hard days as of late, but hope the dedication of a new wing, held Feb. 29, can help put a bright face on their future.
The church on Lapeer Road has been working for years to raise funds and have an addition put on the church, which currently serves 500 members.
Building addition team chairman Jim Foss said the fundraising effort began four years ago and an architect was brought on board three and a half years ago.
The church finally had financing, but in July 2002, its pastor Luther Wright fell ill with a rare form of liver cancer. The project was then put on hold so the church could focus on helping the Wright family, who live in Lake Orion.
The addition is now completely finished, and the church plans to put in landscaping in the spring. The wing added seven classrooms, a nursery, music room, kitchen, new restrooms and new offices to the church, which also has a remodeled fellowship hall. The church also has a new driveway, parking lot and outdoor lighting.
‘The only thing that hasn’t changed is the sanctuary,? said King of Kings Pastor Ted Kerr, who came on as an interim pastor last July and lives in Warren.
‘We were out of space for a long time,? said Foss. ‘There was an old trailer we were using for classrooms.?
Throughout the project, the congregation never wavered in its support.
‘We raised $644,000 altogether,? Foss said. ‘That’s out of a pledge of $642,000. We were over 100 percent…the congregation has continued their support, spiritually and physically.?
Kerr is amazed by the congregation’s willingness to adapt to changes.
‘It’s an amazing bunch of folks,? he said. ‘We have 30-40 kids who regularly attend the youth group…they were even meeting at Tim Horton’s (during the construction).?
‘All these activities had to happen off site and most of them continued on without missing a beat,? said Foss. ‘We have a member who works at the Pee Wee Patch, and they helped us out.?
‘One of the things that’s kind of neat is the community support we’ve gotten,? said Kerr. ‘I attend the Orion/Oxford Ministerial Group…they’ve been wonderful.?
The new addition at King of Kings is being named after Pastor Wright, who has recently had some complications with his chemotherapy.
‘We’re calling it the Luther Wright Christian Education Center,? said Foss.