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Old Church's Sanctuary 'Stunning'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 26, 2007

Updated: 12/26/2007 12:12 am

The outside of the little white Clay Sink Baptist Church makes for a pretty sight, but it's the sanctuary interior that literally shines, especially for people who love historic buildings.

The church, though built in 1956, could be considered modern, given that the congregation was founded in 1897. The church's first building was a plain wooden structure that burned down in the 1950s.

For the new sanctuary, church members brought in heart pine logs.

The red-amber wood has long been considered a beautiful choice for floors because of the way it shines. The church members also covered the walls and ceiling with it. It would be hard to accomplish that now: The forest sources of heart pine are depleted, forcing builders to scour for recycled materials.

Tom Suggs, Pastor,
Baptist Church -
part of sermon

The sanctuary's windows also make it feel special. All 10 are stained-glass windows, purchased by church members as memorials to deceased family members.

"It's just stunning. It takes your breath away when you first see that: the wood, the pine, the chandelier, look down the middle of the church with the stained-glass windows on each side of you," said the Rev. Tom Suggs, the church's pastor since October. "You walk in a thousand churches, and you never hit one like this. ... Anyplace you've got to cross two cattle gaps to get to has got to be worth it."

Jo-Ann Johnston

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