New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church continues mission of development

ALBANY — One church’s push to expand its reach into the community is also helping spearhead downtown Albany revitalization efforts church leadership hopes will make the area a place the public can be proud of.

New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church, which started out of an old, rundown building, is not yet a decade old and now is actively engaged in the cause of bettering the community through increased opportunity. It has 30 full and part-time employees who operate resources such as two daycare facilities that care for more than 100 children, a barber shop, a beauty salon and a clothing store all adjacent to the church on North Monroe Street.

A plaza neighboring New Beginning houses the salon, barber shop and clothing store and in another month that plaza is expected to also house a grocery store for people to buy fresh produce and household products.

“Division was in this community,” said Rev. Solomon Loud, the church’s pastor. “There was no place to get a gallon of milk, or a gallon of bleach.

“We can have healthy choices for children instead of them buying candy.”

Loud said a nearby vacant lot has also already been purchased for a future laundromat, and potentially a dollar store. The second story of the plaza and a neighboring abandoned house are also slated for renovation to create apartments.

“Those with no transportation, they can just walk down,” he said. “They should not have to leave this community to get themselves a sandwich, or a Gatorade … or some flour.”

In the North Monroe and Flint Avenue area, the part of downtown New Beginning is currently focusing on, there is a sense that it is a place impacted by homelessness and crime. In all, the church now owns nine properties in that part of the city, and is also investing in lights along the street.

The church’s main facility, located at 209 N. Monroe Street, is also expected to expand by opening up a new sanctuary within the next two years.

“The church is growing, thriving … We are really excited about that,” Loud said.

Across from the current sanctuary is an education center that offers a driver’s improvement course that helps graduates obtain an insurance discount and get up to seven points off a license, and a risk reduction class for those who need to get reinstated following a drug or alcohol charge.

On Flint Avenue, work is continuing on a preschool building which Loud said should be open within 12-16 months.

“We plan to have an excellent preschool and excellent teachers and give children an advantage when they start school,” he said.

The Albany-Dougherty Historical Preservation Commission has been a key player in New Beginning’s quest, as many of the buildings they are seeking to use are in the city’s historic district.

Rozanne Braswell, senior planner for the city of Albany, said the historic commission consists of eight members who attend training and have backgrounds relevant to historic architecture. They are charged with design review whenever there is a request to modify something within the historic district — which runs from Fourth Avenue to the north to Cherry Avenue to the south, and extends from McKinley Street to the Flint River going west to east.

Something is defined as historic when it is at least 50 years old. The commission also provides oversight on vacant lots as well as buildings.

“If they are in that local district, and if they want to make changes on the property, they need a certificate of appropriateness,” Braswell said.

As part of the oversight process, officials meet with the property owners onsite. When considering what changes to make, the recommendation is to repair rather than replace.

“The best building is the one that is already built …Let’s adapt it to modern requirements,” Braswell said.

The best example in the case of New Beginning is the abandoned house at 307 N. Monroe Street. Repair needs to be made to rotten wood, and before it is occupied again, windows that were later converted into doors will be made into doorways again. Since it is a residential property, it will also have a low picket fence.

In short, that particular building will bring new development while retaining its original style.

“That is exactly what we like to see,” said Braswell.

Part of Braswell’s job is also to maintain contact with people like Loud who are interested in bringing more development to an area that needs it. From a historical perspective, this means ensuring buildings maintain their former character as much as possible — down to signage design — while making them pedestrian-friendly and attractive.

“The house on Monroe is in a corridor going out of town,” Braswell said. “To see an occupied rehabilitated facility … It is good to drive by a property that is not vacant and blighted.”

Replacing rather than building is also a cost-effective approach, and it is one that seems to be working for downtown Albany.

“(I wish we) had more Pastor Louds that saw the potential;” said Braswell. “It is exciting to see opportunity in downtown.”

While Braswell, and historic commission, spends considerable time looking after the well-being of historic properties, she also encourages Albany residents to come to downtown and appreciate some of the “jewels” of the historic district. Go on tours, she said, and take a second look at the things on the daily route to and from work.

“Outsiders appreciate what we have far more than residents do, and that’s a shame,” she said.

Fortunately the leaders at New Beginning are some of the residents that do value some of those downtown jewels and also see their potential. In addition to its other properties the church also also owns an office building on Flint Avenue that it leases out to small businesses trying to get their start, which has already made an impact.

“Clients are already occupying (the space) and it is doing really well,” Loud said.

Loud share the opinion held by many of those invested in the development of downtown Albany that if use is not made of the vacant lots and properties, and foot traffic and clean-up is not established in downtown, the area will not thrive.

“I believe the Lord has given me this assignment,” he said. “We have over 30 people all paying taxes and contributing to the tax base. They are taking care of their families.

“We will double (the number of employees) in the next two years.”

Employment opportunities are still available in the existing resources, as barbers and beauticians are still needed. In the daycare facilities, one of which is open 24 hours a day, a weekly word wall is being utilized so that time can be devoted each day to call out and teach the words on the wall.

“Research says the difference between a child in poverty and a (child of success) is 3 million words,” Loud said of the word wall. “We want to make sure children have all the opportunity they can to be successful.”

Loud’s greatest sense of pride comes from the life changes he has seen. People who were once broken are now encouraging others, and those at their lowest point a few years ago have jobs and driver’s licenses.

“I’m excited to see someone with a drug addiction give up drugs, or those who are homeless get a job … Those are the times that make you realize (that) the work down here (makes a difference),” the pastor said. “When you see that, it lets you know your work is not in vain.”

Education is a particularly important mission for Loud.

“There is no way, really, that a child who drops out (can) be successful,” he said. “Dropping out is not an option for anyone. We really work with the mayor, the commission and school system and sister churches (to make Albany a better city). If we want to bring in more jobs and industry, we need to work together.”

As if the church didn’t have enough going on, the possibility of developing a youth center is also on the table for New Beginning. That facility, which would be staffed full-time, would give youth access to computers to do homework as well as play games and other activities that might keep youngsters off the street.

“(This will be) so parents can work and not have to worry about children getting in trouble,” Loud said. “(Children) ages 13-17 are most at risk. They can legally stay home, but they (can have special needs or be too immature). (If we want to) combat pregnancy and gang violence, we have to get people active in the evening and get young people active in the summertime.

“This is part of the vision that God gave us.”

It is not just the youth New Beginning is worried about. The middle-age and senior adults need the outreach as well.

“It is good for the church, it is good for Albany and good for the downtown Albany area,” Loud said.