The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) – As Mother’s Day approaches and stores prepare to sell out of cards, flowers and jewelry, Victory Baptist Church has a whole other gift in mind for the mothers of their establishment: the opening of their church doors.
On July 8, 2022, members of Victory Baptist Church closed the deal on what locals have been referring to as “the old Family Dollar” building located at 1600 Main Street in Clifton Forge. In the months that followed, the church sought an architect who could cater to their vision, drafted in the mind of one of their deacons, Doc Thompson. In the end, Roy Brown was hired and by November 2022, all systems were going to turn the popular retail store into Victory Baptist’s much-needed house of worship.
Brandon Nicely, pastor of the church, sat down to talk about the details of the complicated reconstruction.
“We completely gutted the building. We put on a new roof, new heating and air; we put in new flooring and put in a new ceiling and tiles. We put in new lighting, fixed the back of the building, and we put down rock in the back [of the building] to create more parking. Then, we broke the room up to what would fit us well as a church, having enough classrooms for the kids, and then (we built) an auditorium.”
After a tour of the beautifully remodeled building, one would be hard pressed to believe that a Family Dollar once stood where Victory Baptist now calls home.
Nicely spoke warmly of several individuals who helped make their upcoming May 14 opening a reality: Billy Dillon, associate pastor, who leads the youth and choir and does the sound system; Melissa Nicely, Brandon Nicely’s wife, who teaches the 5-12 year-olds; Brad Day, creator of their sign logo; Jordan Taylor, the artist responsible for cutting each individual piece of wood that created the breathtaking mural just inside the church doors; and so many others.
As far as what to expect this Sunday and each Sunday after, regular church will begin at 11 a.m. during which time children’s church is offered to kids of all ages.
In addition, weekly Sunday and Wednesday night services will be held at 7:00. On Wednesday nights, Pastor Nicely added that the church will have “Bible study and all kids’ classes from nursery to 18 years of age.” While adults learn in one room, children will learn in others, broken up to suit each appropriate age group.
