“Our Doors Are Open – Let It Shine!” is the theme at Second Baptist Church as they kick off their 2018 Capital Campaign. For decades, the congregation at Second Baptist has invited the community to use their facility for community-based events. Today, the building is used on a regular basis by many community and civic organizations including the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, Suffield Academy, the Suffield Library for specific community activities, the Suffield Garden Club, Red Cross for regularly-scheduled blood drives, Grapevine meetings, Suffield Youth Theatre, Yoga class, and the Special Needs fellowship (in partnership with Suffield Parks and Recreation Department) which provides a social outlet for those with mental, physical, and cognitive disabilities.
However, to keep the doors open for the foreseeable future, this historic building at 100 North Main Street, built in 1840, is in need of repairs, both interior and exterior. The majority of the projects will enhance the exterior of the building and include exterior painting, repair and painting of the six large columns facing Main Street and the refurbishing of the gold dome – which can be seen as far as West Suffield when traveling East. Additional work to be completed will improve the accessibility to the building, specifically at the lower level of the church. The church is in the Suffield Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and pictures of the church are often used in publications that highlight the town of Suffield.
The congregation voted to go forward with the campaign on March 11 and officially kicked off the fundraising portion of the campaign on March 18 after church services with a luncheon and presentation of projects to be completed. The financial goal for this campaign is $350,000 with a significant portion of it already raised. Additional monies raised above the stated goal have been earmarked to increase the accessibility of several spaces within the building including the sanctuary. If you would like to be a part of enhancing the beauty of Main Street by donating to the campaign please send your tax-deductible donations to Second Baptist Church, 100 North Main Street, Suffield, Conn 06078 (Attn: 2018 Capital Campaign) or donate online at the church website: secondbaptistsuffield.org.