Columbia County church wants to rebuild its sanctuary at this unusual suburban location

A Columbia County church tucked between the No. 7 and 13 greens at West Lake Country Club wants to build a new sanctuary on the site of the one they demolished.

The 123-year-old Clark Grove Baptist Church, at 3592 Evans to Locks Rd., is accessible from Evans to Locks by an unpaved portion of Carnoustie Drive that's designated as a private driveway.

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The church campus and its partially-filled 26,000-square-foot cemetery were spared from redevelopment when West Lake's golf course opened in 1969.

The congregation tore down its aging sanctuary less than a year ago, with services continuing in the church's fellowship hall.

The proposed new sanctuary of more than 4,100 square feet is about the size of each of the three private homes that border the church campus. The area also is bordered by maintenance outbuildings for the golf course.

"Other than signage and appropriate lighting, there will be no significant visual impact impending on the West Lake community itself," Clark Grove's senior pastor, Dr. Marcella F. Glover, wrote in a 2023 letter to Columbia County planning officials.

The rezoning request that would allow the new construction is scheduled to be heard at the June 6 meeting of the Columbia County Planning Commission.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Columbia County to decide church's request to rebuild sanctuary