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Tag: Pioneer Baptist Church

  • New congregation calls historic Citrus Heights church home

    Signage announces GraceHill Church will soon be meeting at the historic church building at 7600 Old Auburn Rd., in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    After sitting vacant for just over six months, a new congregation is set to begin holding services in a century-old church building on Old Auburn Road.

    Teaching Pastor Tim Vusik told The Sentinel by email that an inaugural service has been planned for the new location on Sunday, March 5. Vusik is one of two pastors at GraceHill Church and said the congregation has been meeting in an industrial building near College Oak Drive. That location had what Vusik called “limited visibility,” prompting the decision not to renew their lease.

    The location of the former Pioneer Baptist Church building at 7600 Old Auburn Road, along with its iconic steeple, was one of the factors that drew him to choose the location, Vusik said.

    “The Pioneer Church building stood out to us for its unique church appearance and high visibility, situated as it is on a busy street with significant traffic,” he said. “Additionally, its location in the heart of a residential neighborhood offers many opportunities for us to foster relationships with our neighbors and continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Pioneer Baptist Church so fervently preached for almost fifty years.”

    In January, GraceHill marked four years since inception, Vusik said, with the church moving several times over the years. The move to Old Auburn Road will be a permanent one, he hopes.

    “With our relocation to Citrus Heights, we are eager to put down roots and serve our community, Lord willing, for years to come,” Vusik said.

    Vusik confirmed that Pioneer Baptist still owns the land, and GraceHill is leasing it. Pastor Kyle Conley of Pioneer Baptist had previously listed the property for sale, telling The Sentinel in a prior story the church was not interested in managing the property.

    The property was on the market in August of 2022 for $1,600,000, after Pioneer Baptist moved to a larger facility outside the city limits, at 4252 Garfield Ave.

    Conley told The Sentinel in a prior story that the church made a decision to move due to the growing needs of his congregation. The church had initially planned to build a larger campus across from Rusch Park, but halted those plans earlier in 2022 when construction costs nearly doubled.

    The historic church building at 7600 Old Auburn Road first opened in 1921 as The Friends Church, according to an official historical plaque posted on the church property. The church was founded by several Quaker families in 1917, who first met in the old Sylvan School house and later purchased land on Old Auburn Road.

    In 1975, The Friends Church moved to a larger facility in Citrus Heights, which is still located at 7070 Woodmore Oaks Drive. The original location was then sold to Pioneer Baptist Church.

  • 100-year-old church building in Citrus Heights listed for $1.6M

    100-year-old church building in Citrus Heights listed for $1.6M

    Pioneer Baptist Church formerly met at 7600 Old Auburn Rd., in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel

    By Mike Hazlip—
    A church on Old Auburn Road dating back to the early 1920s, and the former home to Pioneer Baptist, is on the market for $1,600,000.

    The property at 7600 Old Auburn Rd. is listed on commercial real estate site LoopNet, which describes a 6,708-square-foot “specialty building” with a newer HVAC system, roof, and an upgraded electrical system. The listing says the property would be “perfect for a community center and event space.”

    The property is described as a historic landmark, with construction completed in 1922. The agent is Robert Balina of Santa Clara-based Synergize Reality.

    An email to the pastor of Pioneer Baptist Church on Monday was not returned, but an email response from Balina on Tuesday said the listing has prompted several meetings with potential buyers that he said are local churches and nonprofit organizations.

    Pastor Kyle Conley told The Sentinel in a prior email that the church decided move to an existing church building at 4252 Garfield Ave., due to the growing needs of his congregation. The church had initially planned to build a larger campus across from Rusch Park, but halted those plans earlier this year when construction costs nearly doubled.

    Conley told The Sentinel previously the church was not interested in managing the property. He said he remains interested in developing land the church owns across from Rusch Park at 7904 Auburn Blvd., but said there are no definite plans.

  • Plans progress for new 34,000-square-foot church building on Auburn Blvd.

    A rendering submitted to the city shows how a new Pioneer Baptist Church building is proposed to look.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    After several years of talk, formal plans are moving ahead for a proposed 3-plus acre church campus on Auburn Boulevard across from Rusch Park.

    Documents were formerly submitted by Pioneer Baptist Church to the city’s planning department in September, showing a 34,400-square-foot church building proposed for the 3.73-acre site. The facility would include an auditorium, classrooms, a gymnasium, and space for day care.

    Kyle Conley, pastor of the church, told The Sentinel earlier this month that the project is “an answer to prayer.” His congregation currently meets in the historic, hundred-year-old former “Friends church” building at 7600 Old Auburn Rd., but is outgrowing the 7,000-square-foot facility.

    Plans currently allow for the new sanctuary to hold at least 450 people, but there might be some modifications to comply with height requirements and other regulations, Conley said.

    Planning documents show the sanctuary is designed to be about the same depth as the current building, but with an increased width to accommodate more people. Conley said he likes the intimate feeling of the current building, and wanted a design that would allow him to see people sitting in the back rows.

    Initially, Conley was not looking forward to navigating the maze of regulations that accompany new building projects, but he said city staff hae been helpful.

    “We’ve had great communication. They’ve helped us out quite a bit,” the pastor said.

    In a statement to The Sentinel last week, city spokeswoman Nichole Baxter said the church is currently making changes to the plans to comply with code requirements.

    “As with all projects that come to the city, our planning team works collaboratively with developers, businesses, and organizations to ensure new projects or improvements meet standards – all with the goal of elevating our community while focusing on safety,” Baxter said in her email. “The projects happening along Auburn Blvd. are of particular interest to the city, as the corridor is a crucial part of our community and economic development revitalization.”

    Conley said church leadership was looking to purchase an existing building when the vacant lot became available. He said keeping the congregation in Citrus Heights was a top priority.

    “We know our church has been in Citrus Heights since ‘70 or ‘73, I believe, and we wanted to keep it here,” Conley said. “So it’s a real answer to prayer for us to get this property.”

    Another top concern for Conley was to maintain the history of the building itself. Completed in 1921, the structure is one of six historical landmarks in Citrus Heights.

    Architectural renderings of the proposed building show a traditional church steeple with modern accents to the design.

    “We’re trying to honor our current building,” he said. “I’m a traditionalist as far as style and we wanted the building to look like a church and remind us of our roots and where we came from.”

    A prior article by The Sentinel reported Pioneer Baptist bought the land in 2018. At the time, Conley said the church’s goal was to raise the money so the project can be completed debt free.

    An additional parcel just north of the site was sold to the church for $1, according to Conley. A creek runs through the site which has been a challenge for the site design because there are required setbacks.

    Conley hopes the new building will be a “beacon of hope” for the community. He plans to be a good neighbor with surrounding homes and businesses while also serving others.

    “Our goal for this building literally is not to be just for our church,” he said. “This is not just to serve our church. How can we use this to minister to everybody in our community?”