Courtesy of Ward Harris

Volunteers such as Paul Baker (left) and Donnie Woodyard have pitched in to help with construction of the Riverview Baptist Church extension in Ripplemead, said Mark Perkins, a member of the church for more than 20 years.

Courtesy of Ward Harris

An 11,500-square-foot educational wing is being added to the 36,000-square-foot Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead.

| Mary Hardbarger

mary.hardbarger@roanoke.com, 381-1679

Bursting at the seams once again, Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead is expanding to accommodate its growing list of participants and services.

An 11,500-square-foot educational wing is being added to the 36,000-square-foot existing structure that harbors a gym, fellowship hall, sanctuary and educational classrooms.

The new wing will offer additional space for classrooms, bible school activities, restroom facilities, a common area and a new school office.

The estimated cost of the expansion is valued at $1.3 million, said senior pastor Shahn Wilburn.

But the church is attempting to build it for less than $500,000 -- a feat Wilburn said he's confident in after knocking hundreds of thousands of dollars off past construction costs by using volunteer labor.

"We've got every kind of crafter we need here [Riverview]," Wilburn said. "We buy very little from outside sources."

And they won't owe anything to anyone once it's complete, except for praise and thanks, he said.

"Everything we've built at this church is debt-free," he said.

The church's membership has grown steadily since Wilburn's first service in 1980, where he preached to small group of 17. Not too long after his arrival, church membership had outgrown the small, 104-seat structure.

Land for a new church was purchased in 1983, and a year later, it was built at a cost of $55,000 -- about $150,000 less than the estimated value.

Attendance continued to rise.

In 1985, construction began on a 500-seat sanctuary, which was completed in 1987. In 1994, the gym was built and the church established Jefferson Christian Academy, which offers classes for students in kindergarten through the seventh grade.

Today, Wilburn said the church sees about 800 to 850 people walk through the doors of the church each week. About 600 to 700 people grace the pews each Sunday -- a far cry from the church's humble beginnings.

Wilburn holds two separate Sunday services and offers double the number of Sunday school classes. Three modular units have been added to the property to help with the overflow.

Volunteers from across the community have pitched in to help with construction, said Mark Perkins, a member of Riverview for more than 20 years.

"It's a full day for them," said Perkins, referring to group of out-of-state volunteers who were scheduled to work from 9 a.m. and into the evening hours Friday and throughout the weekend.

Perkins said about 15 to 20 volunteers are usually on site at a time, hammering nails and hauling beams with a massive crane, provided to the church for free by Allen R Neely Construction.

The church is responsible only for paying the crane operator, Levi Neely, who's charging lower rates than usual.

"When we made our need known, people stepped up and have given so much," Perkins said.

Community members not affiliated with Riverview, or any church, are lending a hand as well, Wilburn said.

"It's literally an outreach," he said. "When people help build something, they take ownership of it."

Completion of the extension is set for late fall.