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Above, Workers from Ridgeline Constructors began excavating Thursday at the site of a new classroom and day-care building at Faith Temple Community Church of God in Christ in Elmira. JOHN P. CLEARY/ Star-Gazette

Construction begins on Elmira church's new building
Column by JOHN P. CLEARY
Elmira Star-Gazette, May 6, 2005

Raymond Glover looked at the blueprints and flashed a wide grin.

"It's good to see it happening," he said. "After all the talk, I'm looking forward to seeing it go up."

Workers broke ground Thursday morning on a new classroom building at Faith Temple Community Church of God in Christ in Elmira. The new building will hold the church's administrative offices, eight classrooms and a four-classroom day-care center. The church is at Harper and Sullivan streets.

Glover, president of the church's board of directors and a minister, said the project, which will eventually include a gymnasium/ assembly hall in a separate building, will cost the church more than $1 million.

"It's a state-of-the-art building," said Alma Mountain, a member of the board.

Last September, the congregation celebrated a special service where the pastor, the Rev. Leo Hughey Jr., burned the mortgage of the sanctuary the church built in 1997. The church's original sanctuary, built in 1969 by Hughey's father, the Rev. Leo Hughey Sr., will be razed as part of the construction of the building.

The Rev. Hughey and his wife, church administrator Wilma Hughey, were out of town on church business Thursday, Glover said. In September, Wilma Hughey said the new facility is designed to serve the children and young families who are a large part of the 350-person congregation. It is built on land the church has been buying, piece by piece, for several years.

Roger L. McKamey, president of Ridgeline Constructors of Elmira, the project's contractor, said the building should be ready for use by September. He said plans call for the gymnasium building to be enclosed before the start of winter.

Church has two reasons to celebrate
Column by JOHN P. CLEARY

The Faith Temple Community Church of God in Christ
on Harper Street in Elmira will have a double celebration this weekend.

The Rev. Leo Hughey Jr. and his wife, church administrator Wilma Hughey, stand before the Faith Temple Community Church of God in Christ in Elmira.
On Saturday, the church will break ground on buildings for a family center and gymnasium. On Sunday, church members will symbolically burn the mortgage on the beautiful sanctuary they built in 1997.

Wilma Hughey, the church administrator, said the double success is due to the commitment of the church membership and the drive of its pastor, her husband, the Rev. Leo Hughey Jr.

"My husband is rather focused," she said. "He's focused on his vision."

His vision is for an active church that is involved in all aspects of its members' lives. The new buildings, which will fill land the church has been buying piece by piece for several years, will serve the families and young people who are a large part of the 300 to 350 congregation members, she said.

The family center will be built beside the sanctuary and will include classrooms, meeting rooms and administrative offices. The gymnasium will be built across Harper Street.

The original sanctuary on Standish Street, which was built in 1969 when Hughey's father, the Rev. Leo Hughey Sr., was pastor, will be razed, Wilma Hughey said. That building has been used as a social hall and meeting space since the new sanctuary was built.

The family center should be built and work on the gymnasium begun by late spring, she said.

She said the new buildings will cost more than $1 million to complete. That's a huge commitment for an enterprise that depends on the generosity of its members, but the church has a good record of fulfilling its obligations.

The $500,000 mortgage on the new sanctuary was paid off nine years early.

"That speaks volumes about the commitment of our membership," she said. "We're so thankful that people believe in themselves and believe in their God."

A community picnic will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with a groundbreaking ceremony planned for 1 p.m. The event, which will include food, games, health screenings, voter registration and other activities, is open to the public.

A special service is planned for 4 p.m. Sunday in the church sanctuary. Leo Hughey will burn a copy of the satisfied mortgage. They'll keep the real one, just in case it's needed.

Bishop Glenwood H. Young of Buffalo, jurisdictional head for the Church of God in Christ, and pastors of other local churches will participate. A dinner for invited guests will follow.

If you go:

WHAT
The Faith Temple Community Church of God in Christ has planned a free community picnic Saturday and a special church service Sunday.

WHEN
Saturday: Community picnic at 10 a.m., groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m.
Sunday: Service begins at 4 p.m.

WHERE
The church is between Harper and Standish streets on Sullivan Street in Elmira.

INFORMATION
Call the church at 607/734-7827.