Park View Prepares to "Build" for Future Ministry
Jeff Herring
By Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
I recently sat down with Dr. Brian Sheppard, pastor of Park Baptist Church in North Little Rock (where I surrendered to the ministry in 1993), to talk about the latest developments for the church following the destruction of their building in the March 31, 2023 tornado.
It’s been a little over a year since the members of Park View were faced with the daunting task of figuring out what to do next after the widespread devastation caused by the tornado. It affected not only their building, but also the surrounding homes. Even in the aftermath of the tornado, there was never a Sunday they did not meet together for worship. After concluding the insurance coverage would not provide adequate funding to rebuild the church building, a search began for what would be next for the church.
During this time, Larry Miller, pastor of Amboy Baptist Church, which is located less than two miles down the road, offered the sanctuary of their building to Park View to rent for their services since Amboy was now only meeting in the smaller chapel section of their building. Over the year since that time, both congregations have interacted and gotten to know each other.
Recently, Bro. Miller let Bro. Brian know he planned to resign soon, and asked about the possibility of donating the building and property to Park View. Bro. Brian took the proposal to the church, and they unanimously agreed that they would accept the building and property.
On Sunday, April 28, Bro. Miller resigned, and the church voted unanimously to dissolve as a congregation and donate the property and assets to Park View. There are some legal issues that need to be taken care of to facilitate the transfer of the property, but Bro. Brian has already met with attorneys to get things going in that regard. He is also working with the remaining members of Amboy as they work to make needed repairs to the building and property, using their remaining funds before the official closing and transfer of the property takes place, including the removal of two old, dilapidated houses on the property.
Amboy’s building was originally built in the 1940s, then they added on at least four different building projects. The old Park View building was 10,000 sq. ft. The total square footage of Amboy’s building is around 30,000 sq. ft. The sanctuary is about 6,000 sq. ft. and, once everything is closed and transferred, Park View plans to remodel that area of the building. It currently has seating for 700 people. Bro. Sheppard shared that they hope to divide the space to create a sanctuary that will seat 150-200 people (and possibly a balcony for future expansion), a fellowship hall and some office space.
The property where Park View’s old building was located is up for sale. They have had some buyers express interest, but nothing is definite at this point. The goal is for the cost of the remodel not to exceed what they can get when they sell the old property.
Bro. Sheppard said the church seems to be showing some excitement as they have a plan for a permanent home after the tornado. While they did lose some members who chose to worship at other places over the past year, the majority of the remaining members of Amboy plan to join Park View.
Bro. Sheppard has also had conversations with Travis Matthews, the pastor of Graves Memorial Baptist Church in North Little Rock, about a possible partnership to offer resources and programs to the Amboy community, such as a food pantry and afterschool program once all the remodeling has been completed. They are also searching for a children’s and youth pastor. If you are interested, contact Bro. Brian at bdsheppard@gmail.com or (501) 803-8508.
I asked if there had been any discussion about changing the name of the church with the relocation and the new building, but Bro. Brian said they did not have any intention of changing the name. In fact, the focus of the church members is to continue building on the legacy of Park View Baptist Church in the surrounding community.
I asked Bro. Sheppard to reflect on the past year and where he is now, both as pastor and as a church. He shared, “March 31, 2023 changed the lives and hearts of most of us who suffered from the tragedy of the tornado. While we lost our building, others lost their homes and some lost their loved ones. I would have never dreamed that God would do what He has done for us. We look forward to what He has in store as we move ahead. There are so many opportunities for service in the Amboy area. I know God will use this transition for good, and I’m excited to see what that entails!”