Peachtree City United Methodist Church has taken a big step in its quest to expand and better serve its growing congregation.

The church closed on a new 63-acre tract on Robinson Road within the past couple of weeks, according to city officials, although the next step in the approval process is far off, perhaps a year or more.

The church is currently at Peachtree Parkway and Windgate Road. Depending upon how the congregation decides to proceed, the church could use the current and new sites simultaneously in the future.

Beginning in 1974 with just over 50 people, the church has grown to more than 2,000 members, with about 1,000 in attendance on any given Sunday morning and 600-700 in Sunday School each week.

The present campus has been occupied since 1979, when services were first conducted in what is now the fellowship hall. The current sanctuary was built in 1984, and an educational building was added in 1994.

The church feels that there is a serious need for space, as evidenced by the fact that there are already three Sunday morning services each week.

The congregation made its presence known to the Peachtree City Planning Commission and City Council this summer, packing the chambers for two meetings when the proposed relocation was on the agenda.

According to city staff, however, that will not be necessary again anytime soon. The next appearance before city officials will come after the church has definitely decided on how quickly to proceed with its plans, which will hinge upon how quickly the funds are raised for new construction.

There was some opposition to the proposal by residents living near the new site. Most complaints dealt with the scope of the project, saying that it went far beyond what a church usually does and would create traffic and noise problems.

But the city approved the conceptual site plan presented a few months ago, and the sole sticking point between the church and the Planning Commission was reversed in the church's favor by the City Council.

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