Peace Lutheran Church secretary Cindy Bell and construction foreman Harold Bellow discuss the location of Bell's future office as they look over the architectural plans for the church on State Route 3 in King George. Photos by SKY GILBAR

Population growth in King George County has many churches there thinking big and preparing space for new members. The tall concrete-block wall on the left will be part of the main entrance to Peace Lutheran Church at its new site. Photos by SKY GILBAR

Jerry Miller (top) and Mark Munderloh, volunteers with Laborers for Christ, construct a wall in the new Peace Lutheran Church on State Route 3 in King George. The 19,000-square-foot building will replace the Lutherans' current church. Photos by SKY GILBAR

Laborers for Christ volunteers (from left) Jerry Miller, Mark Munderloh and Jim Bouvini work as a team to assemble the interior of the main church building. Many of the volunteers have built churches across the country. Photos by SKY GILBAR

Construction of the Peace Lutheran project is being done by subcontractors, church members and Laborers for Christ, who are volunteers for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Photos by SKY GILBAR

King George County churches are expanding at an unprecedented rate

Date published: 9/16/2006

Stories by MAYA RAO
Photographs by SKY GILBAR The Free Lance-Star

PAST A CORNFIELD, across from the sort of verdant stretch off State Route 3 that embodies King George County's rural character, sits a half-finished church.

It is a church the Lutherans are building themselves: driving in the nails, erecting the exterior, putting up the Sheetrock walls.

The members of Peace Lutheran Church want to expand their preschool and other space in this 19,000-square-foot building five miles west of the old one near King George Courthouse. They hope to expand their congregation as the county's population swells.

"I think Christians need to realize our need to reach the community and to have the facilities to be able to do that. And as people move into this area, we need to be ready for them," said the Rev. Terrance Naumann, pastor of Peace Lutheran.

Churches in King George are expanding their facilities at a rate that county officials say is unprecedented.

King George Supervisor Joe Grzeika said that in his 11 years on the board he has seen only a few churches come to the board for special zoning exceptions to construct or expand existing worship facilities.

"This is a first. I think we've seen six in 12 to 18 months," he said.

Two major factors are driving church expansion. King George is the ninth-fastest-growing county in the nation, with a population expected to increase 42 percent by 2030, according to Virginia Employment Commission projections.

Second, church leaders say there is a shift in demographics. Newcomers are likely to be younger adults with children, parents who may face long commutes. They are looking for churches that cater to the entire family. More churches are building recreational and youth centers to draw in young families.

What is happening in King George has already happened in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties--places whose churches grew in size and number as they changed from largely rural places to an extended part of the Washington metropolitan area.

Shiloh Baptist Church is one of King George's most prominent churches, and recently celebrated its 150th anniversary.

In March, it began a $1.4 million expansion expected to be completed in November. Shiloh Baptist will have a ground-level fellowship hall, a big kitchen and room for 270 people.

Date published: 9/16/2006