Berean Baptist Church

Faith Spaces

When the shape and nature of church life evolves for a congregation, an existing building may no longer serve its community as well. Yet history, tradition, and economics often lead a church to carefully evaluate its facilities before rushing to build new. Miller Dunwiddie joined Berean Baptist Church in an exploratory process that culminated in a renovation of their original church building accompanied by a new worship center that meets the contemporary needs of its growing congregation.

This re-envisioning started with preservation and updating the original building, which contains a wealth of memories for this established Burnsville congregation. It is now a more intimate space for traditional worship and smaller services — a classic sanctuary. This space was complemented with a new 1,200-seat worship center for contemporary services, with a state-of-the art sound system and stage lighting. The congregation now has the flexibility to bridge diverse traditions and service styles. A gathering commons, educational classrooms, and administrative suite connect the two centers and a series of site enhancements further creates a cohesive church campus. The project allowed the congregation to preserve its traditions while enabling it to grow and become a solid home base for a multigenerational church family and its many satellite campuses.