Local business sources in the Boston area are reporting that Grace Chapel, an evangelical Christian church based in Lexington, Massachusetts, has purchased the former Casa di Fior function hall in Wilmington, Mass for $3 million.

The building is 29,201 square feet and it is situated on 4.219 acres. A Realtor involved in the sale, James Stubblebine from The Stubblebine Company represented Grace Chapel in the purchase. He indicated that the church plans to use the site as a second campus. “The property is an ideal fit for Grace Chapel because of its highway visibility, large parking area, and current function hall build-out, which is almost turn-key for Grace Chapel,” according to Stubblebine.

Established in 1948 and incorporated in 1956, Grace Chapel is a non-denominational church located in Lexington, a suburb northwest of Boston. Nearly 3,000 people from more than 200 towns, and many different church traditions, communities and cultures attend the Sunday services, events and activities offered each week. The new location is about 10 miles (as the car drives) north of Lexington, along the I-93 corridor to/from New Hampshire.

The church’s web site has a section entitled “Our New Campus Vision” which states:

The primary purpose for launching a New Campus is to reach more people with the transforming power of the gospel of Christ! We want to allow people in the towns surrounding our New Campus to have greater access to and a deeper connection with a healthy vibrant church closer to where they live. We believe the church is where people can encounter God’s grace as he reveals Himself through the witness and ministry of a community of believers. Led by on-site pastoral staff and overseen by the Grace Chapel Elders, the new campus will offer two Sunday morning worship services, live worship, the same message preached at the Lexington campus via video or occasionally live, and a whole range of ministries that will serve and nurture the congregation and community – Kidstown and student ministries, LIFE Communities, Adult Discipleship, etc.

The Senior Pastor of Grace Chapel is Bryan Wilkerson. He has been in that position since September of 2000, having previously served for 16 years as Senior Pastor at Shelter Rock Church in Manhasset, New York. Bryan is a graduate of Wheaton College and Denver Seminary. Additionally, he holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Here is his take on the purchase of the new campus;

“One of the joys of stepping out in faith is watching God work in truly amazing ways. A few months ago, the Grace Chapel family made a bold and sacrificial commitment to launch a second campus, not knowing exactly where that campus would be, or what it would look like. We’ve been trusting that God would show us the way, and we believe He is doing just that – opening our eyes to a property that is more than we could have asked for or imagined.”

Some of the staff oversight for the new campus has already been put in place. In the spring, Pastor Tom VanAntwerp shifted his responsibilities at Grace and has now assumed the role of New Campus Pastor. In addition, Pastor of Outreach Richard Rhodes has directed a significant portion of his workload to help the New Campus during the launching phase. A new campus Youth Director, Isaac Milton, will be working with the Middle and High School youth group. Beginning in mid-December, Isaac will jump into the current GC Youth Ministry programming and cultivate relationships with kids whose families will be transitioning to the new campus. New staff will be hired to serve in the areas of Children, and Worship – with some administrative support as well.