04/01/2026
Dear members and Friends of Pine Valley,
What would your family do with an extra $2000-$3600 annually? That much money could be utilized for children’s college education, retirement savings, stock options, monthly bills…. Pine Valley has a fifty plus year old home that is sitting empty and has been empty for more than a decade. This home has a good foundation, no mold, no mildew, but this particular home is a wonderful asset that has been costing us approximately $2,000-$3600 a year in utilities and repairs for at least a decade. I think we’d all agree that we should be wise stewards of that which God has given to us in properties, campus improvements, and current assets! That’s why I am writing you today.
This ol’ house sits empty and unusable in its current state. A committee of six has been working behind the scenes to prepare us for a project to remodel and restore this ol’ house to its former glory. In fact, by the time we are done fixing “This Ol’ House”, it will look better than new.
We’ve received three bids for this complete remodeling of our parsonage. All three companies were reputable builders in the Wilmington housing market. The first company to offer us a bid was for $330,000. The second company proposed $279,000. The third proposal was from one of our own members. He approached me more than a year ago and told me he wished to do something for his church. This particular builder has been constructing custom homes in Southport for more than fifty years. His company has an in-house interior decorator. They gave us paint colors, cabinet finishes and hardware, lighting fixtures, interior and exterior door finishes…. They gave us exactly what they’re installing in new, custom homes from new flooring, drywall, electric, plumbing, and even the windows. The proposal which has been voted and approved by the church in our last business session, was $125,000, and that includes a contingency fund just in case we run into unforeseen issues.
Last year, while we were in the midst of “Whatever IT Takes” beautification of the church campus, we had several gifts towards the parsonage remodel. These gifts totaled $40,250. So, before we ever begin a “This Ol’ House Remodeling Project” we had $40,250 come in to give us a head start! We are already 33% of the way across the finish line and we haven’t even announced the “This Ol’ House Project” to all of you.
Soon enough, we will begin the project. We will need to gut the complete house so that the interior layout can be reconfigured. An open design with a new kitchen, two new bathrooms, and three bedrooms with a separate utility room will be included. A new front porch will be placed onto the home and a screened in back porch will also be included for the “This Ol’ Home Project.” When our church is in talks with prospective staff members who are young, starting a family, and in need of housing, this home will be an asset for us to attract and help bring young, new staff members into our church for service to the Lord. The cost of housing in Wilmington has considerably increased and this home will give us an edge to attract new staff members to enjoy this city and come on staff at Pine Valley.
We need your help. Soon, we will be completely demolishing the interior walls of this ol’ home. Many of us can help to tear out the walls, doors, and windows of this ol’ house to make ready for completely new, beautiful, and very attractive doors, windows and walls. All of us can give large, or small, gifts to the “This Ol’ House Remodeling Project.” And everyone can pray for God to bless our efforts, use our gifts, and utilize our sweat equity to make this project another way of revitalizing and restoring our campus, our land, and our homes for the glory of God and the good of our community.
Pray with me as the “This Ol’ House Remodeling Project Committee” leads us through the next three to six months of remodeling and restoring this ol’ home. (Ken Tripp, Barry Cokes, Bill Stevens, John Obermiller, Vance Brooks, and Brian Henry are committee members). Pray individually for these six members and their leadership. Pray for God to work through us, in us, and with us to keep the construction workers safe and for God to provide the necessary funds for us to successfully complete “This Ol’ House Remodeling Project.”
In Christ,
Your Pastor and Friend,
Dr. Stephen Anthony
P.S. Video’s of our parsonage have been put on our church’s website and on Facebook. Obviously, everything is soon going to change but we wanted you to be aware of the present parsonage and its pressing needs. Offering envelopes to “This Ol’ House Project” are in the foyers and pews of the church. You can also give online. Thank you much!
