When Pastor Brown and his congregation of True Faith Church of God in Christ (COGIC) purchased the former Cross Keys Baptist Church and Christian Academy four years ago, they were advised to tear the old church building down and use the land for a parking lot.

Pastor Brown could not bring himself to tear down history.

"I feel led to restore and preserve the church for community use. The chapel could be used for weddings and funerals. Restoring the building would give those who were a part of this church or their relatives the opportunity to visit the building that served as the spiritual house of their parents and grandparents. It will be a monument to the church's beginnings, dating back to 1918. We plan to open a public library in the building displaying memorabilia from the history of the church. Seventeen pastors served Cross Keys Baptist Church from 1918 to 1987, and we want to hang a picture of each pastor in the library. It will be a place rich in history. I would like to see our whole property, including our full gymnasium, linking together to serve and enrich this community," Pastor Brown said.

Not only does the church building need major repair, but the community could use some revitalization as well. Here, grandparents are the primary caregivers in 55 percent of the households, and 35 percent of the single-female headed households fall below the poverty level. Pastor Brown is concerned that the Cross Keys community in Macon has been forgotten. He says East Macon is overlooked in terms of development and bringing in new businesses. But Brown and others believe that revitalization of the area can and will happen.

"I'm a lifetime resident of Macon—I've been here 62 years and my wife and I have been married over 40 years. We've raised our family here. She and I along with three of our children founded True Faith Church of God in Christ in 1982. God has brought us this far by faith. We're just asking the people from Macon who have been so supportive of us in the last 25 years to stand with us and help us with the vision that God has given us for this property in the Cross Keys area," Brown said.

Pastor Brown's Wife, Pearlie, believes in her husband's vision for the restoration of the property. Part of the founding board for the church, Pearlie supports the efforts by completing the necessary secretarial and administrative work.

One estimate that the church has received to restore the 9,714 sq. ft. building is $700,000. The first phase of the restoration process is repairing the roof. Having the roof repaired will stop the water damage and will change the appearance of the property. It will add appraised value to the building.

"We are seeking public donations and exploring foundations that may help us. We have started the ‘One Save One' project, where people can donate from one dollar, to 100 dollars, to 1000 dollars. This project will allow everyone in the community to be a part of this restoration. We are asking people to join us by sending a donation to P.O. Box 14208, Macon 31203-4208, or to stop in at a Bank of America and make a donation to the Cross Keys Divine Restoration Project. Those who donate will be listed on the ‘One Save One' wall," for all those who sacrificed to restore this building," Brown said.

Pastor Brown is hoping to hear from previous members of Cross Keys Baptist Church as well as from alumni from the Cross Keys Academy.

"One lady emailed us from Okalahoma when she saw our website. She was so happy that someone had taken an interest in the church that she had grown up in. That was a big encouragement to us, and we would like to hear from others," Pastor Brown said.

True Faith C.O.G.I.C. makes good use of the newer church buildings on the seven-acre campus. The congregation is currently worshipping in the new sanctuary that was added in 1968. In 2005, the church opened True Faith Christian Learning Center, a Christian daycare, for children from the age of 4 weeks to 12 years old. There's a before- and after-school program. The school is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week. For more information about the learning center, call 478-743-2563. The church has also opened its gym to the community. A baton twirling class started meeting there several months ago.

True Faith C.O.G.I.C. (Old Cross Keys Academy) is located on 2048 Jeffersonville Road in Macon. For more information, call 478-228-0338. or 478-743-2563, or visit the website www.crosskeysdivineproject.org.