Evangelical Baptists buy Lakeport church from Catholics

LACONIA — On July 5, the Evangelical Baptist Church of Laconia purchased the former campus of the former Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church campus in Lakeport for $700,000.

Evangelical Church Building Committee Chair David Provan said the purchase has been a long time in the making and the church leaders are thrilled with the development.

"This is a time of celebration for us," he said yesterday. "The buildings will give us a tool to better reach into the communities."

The three Catholic churches in the city were combined in 2008 into one parish called, as the result of a vote of the parishioners, the St. Andre Bessette Parish.

Former Bishop John McCormack decreed in February of 2010 that Our Lady of the Lakes be closed and sold and the final mass was held there in August of 2010.

The campus of the former Our Lady of the Lakes is three buildings — the sanctuary that also has classrooms in the lower level; the gymnasium; and the convent. Most of the buildings were built in the mid 1960s.

Provan said the Evangelical Baptist Church is renting office space in the Strafford House and hopes to relocate the offices to the former convent by September 1. As for the church itself, he said the goal is to be holding services there by January 2013.

Provan said the Evangelical Baptist Church has had two separate capital campaigns over the past four years to put together enough money to relocate from their current home in the historic church building on Veteran's Square. He said the Church is working with a realtor to sell the church, which was originally located on the corner in front to the library.

"We are excited, we really are, "Provan said. He said they have already hired an architect and are looking to hire a contract to being some work on the sanctuary and the classrooms.

According to a record of the accounting distributed at masses held at the St. Andre Bessette over the weekend, there was a deposit of $4,500, the real estate stamp cast $5,250 and the realtor's commission was $56,000.

Of the $634,250 of the amount due from the Evangelical Baptist Church to St. Andre Bessette, there is a promissory note from the Baptist to the Catholics for $230,000 that Provan said it payable over five years.

The amount paid to St. Andre Bessette Parish was $404,250 of which $307,758 was paid to the Diocese for assessments, insurances and loans for 2012. An additional $68,223 was used to satisfy a $68,233 loan to Sacred Heart Cemetery.

The balance of $28,257 is in the parish saving's account while some of the proceeds from the promissory note will go to satisfy the balance of a $70,000 loan by St. Andre Bessette to the Sacred Heart Cemetery.