Publication
 
Church Purchases the Property
 
The old Coleman High School and Graves Gym has been purchased by Abundant Life Church in Brownwood. At the urging of a few local church members, the church’s leadership began to pray for wisdom and began the process of attempting to purchase the property. After several weeks of research and divine help the church was able to negotiate a contract with “The Trust Company of Louisiana.” The sale was finalized March 18th, according to Rick McClure, pastor of the church.
 
The church has received several inquiries concerning their intended use of the facilities. Pastor Rick McClure said, “It is our fullest intentions to use the facilities in a manner that will preserve their historical significance to the community and bring glory to God. We hope to work with local non-profit organizations to benefit the community. Our role as a church in the community will be adjusted. We have been holding normal Sunday morning services. Our Sunday services will be changed to a Bible study on a weeknight. We will look into adding a support group format for those facing various challenges to be held on another weeknight. We have also discussed the possibility of working closely with the Coleman County Youth Association. Concerning the facilities, our first priority will be to get the Graves Gym functioning as soon as possible. The gym’s roof is leaking severely and we want to make every effort to save the floor before more damage is done.”
 
When asked about the plans for the High School, Pastor McClure replied, “Once the roof is repaired and restrooms are functioning in the gym, we will begin looking at the bigger project of the High School. Restoration will definitely require a joint effort from the community. We will be studying the needs of the community to determine the possible uses for the facility. The old auditorium possibly could be converted into a beautiful community theater for productions, conferences and concerts. Another idea that has been discussed is providing administrative offices for many of the area’s social services as the need arises. Continuing education classes would also be a possibility. It will take time to determine what the best uses will be. There is enough room to meet several needs of the community. The building structure seems to be surprisingly in good shape. However, roofing and windows will need to be replaced. The plumbing, electrical and heating and cooling will all need to be brought up to current building codes, all of which will be expensive and time consuming. In a couple of months, after we gather more information, we hope to have a town hall meeting.”

The church has set up an account with Coleman County State Bank. This account will be used for the purposes of taking care of the facility renovations and programs in Coleman. Abundant Life Church is a nondenominational church that began 1995 in Brownwood. It is a State of Texas non-profit corporation and a IRS 501(c)3 corporation. Church members primarily reside in Brown, Coleman, Comanche and Mills counties. The church offices are located in Brownwood. Inquiries can be directed to P. O. Box 932 Brownwood, TX 76804, 325-643-4738.

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