WASHINGTON (ABP) -- The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty will probably need to raise a little more toward its capital campaign before it can start building a proposed “Center for Religious Liberty” on Capitol Hill, the group’s directors heard Oct. 6.

Well-wishers greet BJC Executive Director Brent Walker (right) at an event marking his 20 years with the organization. (BJC photo)

Although the board authorized BJC staff to begin looking for suitable properties two years ago, Brent Walker, BJC executive director, told directors price increases in the years since the campaign was first envisioned made them re-evaluate the costs of beginning to build with only the money and commitments already in hand.

“Our target has always been $4 million, and $5 million as a sort of an ambitious goal -- if we can make it,” Walker said. “I think $5 million is now really our realistic goal rather than our ambitious goal.”

He said the group had examined “eight or nine” suitable properties in the last two years “and found them far more expensive to purchase and expensive to fix than we had perhaps thought four years ago.”

Walker said that BJC officers and consultants ultimately realized, that, “if you take the money we had and did a mortgage of $1.5 million to get up to the purchase and renovation price and figured what the mortgage payment would be” and add the cost of paying the mortgage as well as upkeep on the new building, “it would be considerably more than we pay now in rent.”

He continued, “Part of the rationale from the very beginning for doing that [owning their own building] was that we could get out of having to pay $150,000 a year in rent here and could use that money to pay for salaries and other programming.”

Nonetheless, Walker concluded, “We’re confident that there’s a piece of property out there that one day we’ll be able to afford and that will be to our liking and serve our needs well.”

Despite the longer-than-expected timetable on new quarters, BJC leaders said the group’s financial picture is strong, especially given the severity of the last year’s economic downturn.

BJC board members listen to Knox Thames, a Baptist who is acting executive director of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, at a White House briefing Oct. 6. (BJC photo)

The board also observed Walker’s 20th anniversary with the BJC, including the past 10 years as executive director. He was an attorney in Tampa, Fla., before surrendering mid-career to a call to ministry and moving to Kentucky to attend seminary. BJC board members, staff and spouses held a reception recognizing Walker and his family. It included a tribute from Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas).

Directors concluded their meeting with a White House briefing on religious-liberty issues by staffers from several governmental agencies.

In other business, the board elected new leaders. Pam Durso, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, was elected chair. She replaces Steve Case, pastor of First Baptist Church of Mansfield, Pa., who is stepping down after two terms as required by the BJC’s governing documents.

Philip Thompson, a professor at Sioux Falls Seminary in Sioux Falls, S.D., will serve as vice chair. Jim Hill, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri, will be secretary. Gary Walker, an attorney in Tampa, Fla., was tapped as treasurer.

The board adopted a $1.16 million budget for 2010.

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This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  is managing editor and Washington bureau chief for Associated Baptist Press.

Related ABP story:

Baptist Joint Committee to begin looking for new property on Capitol Hill (10/9/07)

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