A NEW
CHURCH &
PARISH
COMPLEX
A NEW
a new vision for the local body of christ
After years of growth in our parish, the luxury of available seating has come to an end here at our church in Sunbury, Ohio. The faithful of St Barnabas Orthodox Church are now faced with an urgent necessity to design and build a spacious, traditional church and parish complex.
a message from fr. athanasius
ON AUGUST 14TH, 2023
On this day we found a field of corn, just 6 miles east of our current location, and purchased it later that year with overwhelming parish support.
The “Conversational” Icon of the Mother of God is commemorated on that day, August 14th. It received its name because it depicts the Mother of God and St Nicholas of Myra conversing with the sacristan George. Orthodox Christians pray before this Icon for success in building, for construction in general, and for the restoration and preservation of Orthodox churches and monasteries.
Phase I
We hired both civil engineering and architectural support in March, 2024. The entirety of this project would unfold in two construction phases.
Phase I begins with the preliminary readiness of the raw land (utilities, water, septic, parking and landscaping, etc.) followed by the construction of a 12,000 sq. ft. parish complex. The footprint will support a spacious fellowship hall, giving parishioners and the community ample space for weddings and group activities. It will also temporarily annex sufficient space within the fellowship hall for an interior chapel. In addition, classrooms and meeting spaces will be created to meet the needs of our faithful, clergy, and volunteers. Commencement date is the Autumn of 2025.
includes:
- temporary chapel with sanctuary, nave, narthex (3400 sq ft)
- fellowship hall (2700 sq ft)
- Kitchen (1200 sq ft)
- restrooms
- Classroom | bridal | conference room
- sidewalks, pavements
Classrooms and meeting rooms will meet the needs of our faithful, clergy, and volunteers. They will be used for parish lunches, church school, Parish Council meetings, and more.
Total Phase I footprint: 12,000 sq. ft.
Estimated Cost: $4,400,000
Phase II
Phase II begins with the construction of a distinctly customized cruciform church with Sanctuary & Apse, Solea, Nave, and Narthex. The church will accommodate 300 people. The exterior will have a central peaked dome, arched windows, rafter tails, and gable brackets. The Byzantine interior contains arched ceilings, plastered walls, and, in time, colorful iconographic murals. Broad porches and a processional arcade will culminate at a central courtyard. Additionally, the parish complex will be modified with more classrooms and meeting spaces. The interior chapel will be transitioned into one spacious fellowship hall.
The estimated project cost is approximately $7,000,000. We will build from the heart, giving our utmost as a sweet-smelling offering to God, with prayers arising as incense.
Raising funds for this final step of the journey will require significant spiritual fortitude and great generosity.
includes:
- independent church with sanctuary & apse, vestries, solea, nave, narthex, porched entry and roofed arcade (to serve 300 people with 5000 sq ft)
parish complex expansion
- fellowship hall to accommodate 300 people (4500 sq ft)
- additional wings for porched front entry, and classrooms
- additional restrooms
- storage rooms, bridal room, library and bookstore
- additional sidewalks, pavements, roofed arcade and a central courtyard
Total Phase II footprint: 20,700 sq. ft.
Estimated Cost: $7,000,000
click & play
Extending the family of God
St Barnabas Orthodox Church serves Sunbury, Ohio, the north Columbus area, Delaware County, Knox County and beyond. With our new location we will extend the hand of fellowship to further pastures, bringing the broken and the weary into our beloved Orthodox Church. In order to accomplish this God-pleasing work on such a huge scale, we must rely first upon the abundant help from the Holy Trinity, then from His good people.
More about St Barnabas Orthodox Church
We will continue to update this page as we have more “concrete” information regarding construction development.
Please pray for wisdom, discernment, and direction, as well as provision for this needed expansion. Thank you in advance for your contributions to this fund to help us extend His Church now and for future generations!
May the Lord’s grace
and the comfort of the Holy Spirit
be upon this holy place!”
Yours in Christ,
+Fr. Athanasius, Clergy and Faithful
St. Barnabas the Apostle
Antiochian Orthodox Church
in Sunbury, Ohio
st barnabas giving programs
CONTRIBUTORS
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BENEFACTORS
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there are many ways to contribute
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If you prefer to make a contribution by check to St Barnabas Orthodox Church, please write “Building Fund” in the memo field and mail it to:
St Barnabas Orthodox Church
PO Box 31
Sunbury, OH 43074
Financial donations will qualify for exemption from federal income tax under IRC Section 501(c)(3).
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