Microsoft purchased 148 acres of land for a brand new knowledge middle simply off of Freeway 74 in Tyrone. Their land buy was simply what native church Pastor Mark Medlin and his leaders had been praying for. They have been in a position to relocate and renamed their congregation from New Heritage Church of God to Tyrone Group Church.
“Our church management had a want to be nearer to the middle of Tyrone to make ministry connections extra accessible. For the final 13 years we’ve been working within the colleges there on Jenkins Street, the highschool, the center college, and the Burch Elementary Faculty. We have been doing loads of stuff there in surrounding Tyrone. The previous location form of remoted us, remoted our group of religion,” stated Pastor Mark.
He defined, “For a number of years, once we would discuss to folks about New Heritage Church of God, they might say, ‘Now the place is your church?’ And even after you informed them the place the church was, they might say, ‘I didn’t know a church was there.’ However what’s attention-grabbing about that, when it was torn down, all people knew there was a church there and all people was asking questions on what occurred to that church. So I feel for us, the transfer has confirmed, everybody now is aware of the place we’re presently.
Tyrone Group Church was in fine condition earlier than their transfer. They didn’t have any debt on their land. They’d been searching for a very good supply. They’d even turned down a suggestion from a enterprise that they felt wouldn’t make a very good neighbor to Tyrone.
“One of many presents was going to be a delivery hub there, like a giant distribution middle for tractor and trailers.” Pastor Mark and his management group requested group leaders if that was a fascinating enterprise, and came upon town didn’t prefer it.
Then a dealer from the Fayette County Growth Authority contacted them. And it appeared and felt proper to them. “We didn’t must promote, however we did wish to be nearer to Tyrone. And we had appeared all over the place in Tyrone for property to construct on for different buildings to purchase and renovate and simply nothing appeared to suit. However the Growth Authority got here in, they have been trying to put that along with loads of different land acquisitions. And I merely informed them, ‘I do know you’re shopping for loads of land round right here, and we’ve got land right here with the constructing, however we’re a residing, respiratory group. We’re a church and we’ll must relocate.’ So I gave them the quantity that I assumed would work for us. It wasn’t however just a few hours later, the dealer known as me again and stated they might take it, I feel in my private remark, that it’s a solution to prayer for us.”
They discovered a property on Senoia Street that one other church had tried to renovate and hadn’t been in a position to full. They have been in a position to purchase that property outright and pay for all of the renovations with what they made on their land. And since the opposite congregation had debt on their property, “It’s a solution to prayer for the church property that we acquired there on Senoia Street,” stated Pastor Mark.
Now the church is situated a lot nearer to Tyrone, at 1126 Senoia Street, the on ramp going north out of Tyrone to 74. Tyrone Group Church now has Sunday Faculty at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m.
Pastor Mark says that the brand new location will allow them to each thrive and develop in that location. They even have room on the property to construct a chapel that will seat 250-300 folks sooner or later.
Pastor Mark says it was a win-win-win state of affairs. “It’s good. I do know it’s good for the Growth Authority. I feel it’s good for the group. Now we’re down there the place all people is aware of the place we’re at. I do know it was good for the opposite group of those that have been there as a result of principally on the time that we acquired it, they’d just about shut the church down. So it was a solution to prayer for them.”
Pastor Mark, who has been with the church for 18 years says that individuals are already discovering his church of their new location, not like the outdated one the place folks drove by at 70 miles per hour.
What occurred to the outdated location? As quickly because the church moved quickly to Burch Elementary whereas their new constructing was being renovated, the Fayette County Growth Authority and Microsoft allowed the fireplace division to make use of the constructing for coaching workout routines. However first, the FCDA and Microsoft allowed the church to take away something of worth that they needed from the outdated constructing—fixtures, supplies—they even provided up the brick of the constructing, if they’d needed it.
“A 12 months later, simply the way in which the strategy was dealt with by way of the Growth Authority, the way in which they tracked all over their dealer, every thing was actually, actually good. They despatched representatives in there and informed us we may have principally every thing within the constructing. All they needed was the land, however they must pay to tear the constructing down. We have been in a position to take out loads of stuff and loads of stuff we gave away. After which among the stuff that they took out, I feel they gave away to smaller organizations too, stuff that we didn’t take. In order that was a really optimistic, optimistic relationship with the Growth Authority,” stated Pastor Mark.
Pastor Mark is joyful that the enterprise that purchased the land gained’t add to the site visitors burden within the space. “I perceive that there gained’t be that many individuals that come to that knowledge middle. In different phrases, it gained’t be a site visitors snarl. It might’ve been if it had been a semi tractor trailer distribution middle. We didn’t comprehend it was Microsoft. We simply knew it was some form of knowledge middle.”
It’s left the church in a really safe place, financially. “We broadened our outreach. We at the moment are supporting an orphanage in Ukraine, and we’ve been in a position to step up with that. We additionally assist a corporation, Metropolis of Refuge. I’m actual good mates with the founding father of that, Bruce Deel, and he has began a corporation known as MOST, Males Opposing Intercourse Trafficking. And so we’re going to have the ability to do extra with our assist for them than we’ve got up to now, and we’ve been supporting these issues. The additional cash that we’ve got goes to assist us do what we’ve at all times supposed to do.
“Now we have an amazing group of individuals in our group of religion that give in direction of one thing in the event that they know there’s a necessity. And what I’ve by no means actually achieved in my pastoral ministry is ask folks for cash for issues in regards to the church, about what the church was doing. I feel if we’re doing what the Lord’s known as us to try this, all the opposite stuff, the ability invoice, the insurance coverage funds, all that stuff’s going to be taken care of. Similar to the place we’re sitting proper now, every thing’s been taken care of, and Romans 8:28, All issues work collectively for good to those that love the Lord and are known as based on his function. And so this has been good for us and we’ll proceed sooner or later,” stated Pastor Mark. He concluded, “The church shouldn’t be gone. We’re nonetheless right here. We’re simply in a unique location and we’re doing significantly better than we have been earlier than.”
In response to Niki Vanderslice the President of the Fayette County Growth Authority, the church was one among 5 entities whose land was pulled collectively for the Microsoft Information Heart undertaking. She stated, “I’m delighted that the acquisition of that property allowed the church to plant roots in a brand new location and serve the Tyrone group.”
Normally, the neighbors across the property have been additionally okay with the Microsoft Information Heart Undertaking. One neighbor requested a magnolia tree between their property and the information middle, as a result of his spouse likes them. After closing, Niki personally delivered a magnolia to his dwelling.
The Microsoft Information Heart can also be one thing Tyrone needed. In response to Tyrone Mayor Eric Dial, “The Growth Authority got here to us with a use that was according to our long-term plan that was shared with the county a few years in the past. We partnered with the county in making the choice that on this space we needed to see a enterprise expertise park.”
Mayor Dial says that the full tract of land is about 150 acres. Whereas Microsoft has bought it, there is no such thing as a timeline on the desk for when growth of the information middle will happen. Mayor Dial says that his “hope” is that growth will start inside the subsequent two years. When it occurs, the plan is for 2 buildings of about 250,000 sq. ft every.
For these questioning simply the place this knowledge middle might be situated, Mayor Dial describes the property as abutting Fairburn and being throughout Freeway 74 from the Wendell Espresso Golf Heart.
Mayor Dial says that he feels that Microsoft might be a very good neighbor. “We’re happy {that a} very well-respected firm has determined to make Tyrone its dwelling.”
