Living Word Church: Combining Spiritual Guidance with Civic Pride

Generosity of One Church Builds Another

December 9, 2005

by Freda Parker

Rendering of the 3-dome complex for Living Word Church completed by LPDJ Architects, LLC of Salt Lake City, UT. With a diameter of 54 feet, comfortable seating and a kitchenette, the central dome will function as a sanctuary and as a fellowship hall. Two smaller domes, each with a diameter of 21 feet will house classrooms for the children's ministry. A conventional connector unites the domes; it includes a lobby with baptismal and reception areas, bathrooms and office.

Three almost completed Monolithic Dome shells for Living Word Church in Livingston, Alabama. Pastor Byron Franklin and his small but growing congregation of less than a hundred are planning an opening ceremony and first service for Sunday, January 29, 2006.

Faith Chapel Christian Center (FCCC), one of Birmingham, Alabama's megachurches, believes in tithing -- not only by individuals but by the church as a whole.

That's how Living Word, a new, nondenominational church in Livingston, Alabama is getting its start. "Right now, we have a congregation of only about 65," said Byron Franklin, pastor of Living Word. "We're a spin-off from our parent church (FCCC), which is in Birmingham, about an hour and 40 minutes away."

Pastor Franklin started his ministry at FCCC as a teacher and member of their directorial staff. He then became their Singles Minister, the position he held for his last three years there. "I liked that job," the pastor said. "But then we (he and Meriam, his wife) received the assignment to start the church here in Livingston. That's been about a year and six months ago. We've really been blessed by the response from the people, and we're absolutely pleased and happy with what we're building."

To date, that construction includes three interconnected Monolithic Domes designed by LPDJ Architects, LLC of Salt Lake City, Utah. The largest of the domes has a diameter of 54 feet; it will be a multipurpose facility that will include the pastor's office. "At this point, we're small," Franklin said. "We're equipping the large dome with a kitchenette so we can use it as a sanctuary and as a fellowship hall."

The other two domes, each with a diameter of 21 feet, will house classrooms for children ranging from toddlers to teens. A generous lobby under a conventional connecter will link the three domes; it will include reception and baptismal areas and bathrooms.

A Shelter in a Storm

Pastor Franklin and his congregation want Living Word to enhance their community both spiritually and practically. "One of the reasons we're using the Monolithic style -- aside from the fact that our parent church used it -- is because economically it's a great fit for us," Franklin said. "And it's structurally very sound. That makes it perfect for us.

"Livingston is close to the Mississippi line," he explained. "That makes it close to a lot of the storms that come in on the coast. The storms have a strong effect on this area. We get spin-offs from hurricanes and a lot of tornadoes, and this is a rural area. So, we will make Living Word available to the community as a shelter."

Building Civic Pride

"There's another thing about this area that I would like to mention," Franklin said. "Livingston is in what is known as the Black Belt -- one of the poorest regions in this country. So anything that we can do that will be geared toward social development is going to be a huge plus."

Note: On www.al.com/specialreport/birminghamnews/?blackbelt.htmlThe Birmingham News calls the Black Belt "Alabama's Third World." On http://irhr.ua.edu/blackbelt/intro.html the Institute for Rural Health Research explains that the term "Black Belt" was first used to designate an area from Texas to Virginia with thick, dark, rich soil. Later the term began being used wholly in a political sense to designate impoverished areas populated mostly by minorities.

Franklin likes the stable, strong, permanent look of the domes. He said, "Here, people really hesitate to connect because they have had a lot of good will ministries come in but not stay. So they're hesitant to connect until they really know the ministry is going to be a part of the community and will establish itself. We look permanent and we will be permanent."

Future Plans

The pastor is optimistic about their future growth. "This is our first year and we have 65 members," he told me again. "I know that 65 isn't big. But you have to understand that we're in a place where nobody knew us, where none of us knew anyone here, and we are averaging 65 to 70 people -- including three to five new visitors every Sunday."

In fact, this embryonic church is growing so rapidly it's currently forced to operate at two locations: a community center for its services and a downtown office for its children's ministry. "We could not find a place big enough for everything," Franklin said. "So until the domes are done, we have two places going at the same time. Parents drop their kids off at an office we rented that Meriam runs, then drive to the community center for the service. It's great that they're willing to do that. So Meriam and I are really excited about everything."

By the end of January 2006, Living Word's new Monolithic Dome facility should be completed. They are planning a first service for Sunday, January 29. "We will be inviting the media," Franklin said. "I think they will respond. There's nothing that's even close to this design anywhere around, so we're already getting a lot of attention. But people don't know who we are. We've been called a spaceship, a mosque, etc. The construction crew has told me that people driving by often stop. They just pull off the road, stand there, look and wonder what it's going to be and how the three domes will function together."

These first three domes, however, are just the completion of Phase I. Living Word has 23 acres of land. Phase II includes the construction of a new Monolithic Dome sanctuary with seating for 470. "We will convert our original sanctuary into a children's ministry," Franklin said.

Phase III will result in yet another such conversion since it calls for a Monolithic Dome to seat 2,000. "We will do all this when and as we need to do it," the pastor concluded. "And I think it will happen within ten years."

Living Word Church: Combining Spiritual Guidance with Civic Pride

Generosity of One Church Builds Another

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