Community celebrates soft opening of K.L. Simon Community Center

As he has for years, Reverend Ken Simon led a prayer Friday.
But this prayer came among some unique circumstances.

New Bethel Baptist Church hosted a soft opening for its new K.L. Simon Community Center, and is also about to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

"The church just has to do more for the community that it's been called to serve," said Rev. Simon.

His vision for what became reality Friday came in the 1990s.
Phase one saw the sanctuary renovated.
Phase two marked the old sanctuary becoming this multipurpose community center.

"We're looking forward to the kind of programming we're going to have here, to bring hope to the city, give programming for our young people, give opportunity for people to have their banquets and receptions and weddings here and we just look forward to being a blessing to the city," Rev. Simon explained.

A blessing that looks to also be a place for mentoring, tutoring, job skills training, and parenting groups.
The cost to date of more than $300,000 has been offset by ARP money from both the city and county, along with grants and donations.
There's no word yet on when the facility will be fully up and running, but it won't be long.

"We just formed an advisory board and we're in the process of getting our policies and procedures together," said general renovation chair Brenda Spencer. "And we also have more renovations to do, we have to put in our heating system and our sound system."

The finishing touches on what's sure to be, as Rev. Simon described, a blessing to the city.