Upon entering the foyer of Zama Baptist Church, one is first struck by the tranquility of the décor. From the fountain to the bright floral arrangements and the cozy fireplace, everything elicits a sense of serenity.
At first glance, it is hard to believe that the building, just off Highway 19 South was once buzzing with school children on a daily basis.
According to Jerry Sanders, deacon at the church since 1976, the old Zama school actually closed twice, once in 1967, reopening in 1970, and then, finally, around 1985.
“The county gave it to the Zama Alumni Association, and they kept it for about 15 years,” said Sanders. “Then they approached the church once they lost interest in keeping the building up.”
The old school had a brand-new tin roof and 10 acres of property — two big advantages — when the church spent $10 to purchase it. The church then began remodeling, a task that continues to this day.
“Because the building was built in 1949, we immediately started with new wiring and updated electrical. We moved into the building in 2010, and then we worked on the sanctuary space first. The pews and carpet were installed in 2013,” said Sanders of the progress made.
The sanctuary was built in the old school auditorium. The pulpit and chancel area wall is highlighted by a low-lit stained-glass cross under an arch shape.
“I found that online in Miami, and I knew that we did not need to spend that amount of money without seeing it in person. My late sister, brother-in-law and I flew down to Miami, liked what we saw, and ordered it,” said the deacon.
The arched panels behind the pulpit open up to reveal the old stage, which is yet to be remodeled.
“Our plans are to someday be able to open the panels for plays and performances,” said Sanders, who is also the congregation’s pianist.
Once the decision was made to leave the stage where it was, the church needed a place to put the baptistry. The next most obvious place was the fellowship hall.
“I wanted this to be a tranquil, pond-like setting,” said Sanders.
A softly falling waterfall serves as a backdrop to the baptistry, which is flanked by plants.
“I built these planters and ordered some bamboo canes. I got the leaves later on and hot-glued them on individually. I did not want to see any bamboo leaves ever again!” Sanders said with a laugh.
The opposite end of the fellowship hall is decorated with crosses and has a door opening to the serving kitchen. The serving line counter is lit with colorful arch-shaped fixtures.
“I made those from plexiglass,” Sanders said. “We wanted to keep the arch theme going.”
The centerpiece of the working kitchen is the old red stove. The original deep sinks are also still in use, with new fixtures installed.
“That is the original stove to this building. I took it all apart, cleaned it, and we use it,” said Sanders.
The colorful theme found in most of the décor is continued in the Sunday School rooms. The children’s Sunday School room is bright orange and green and contains some of the small chairs and a desk from the original school. The teen Sunday School room is turquoise and boasts white boards in the old chalkboard spaces. The adult Sunday School room, which also doubles as a prayer room and a choir room, disguised the old chalkboard spaces with wood treatment that matches the hardwood floor.
“When the school closed, these chalkboards were ripped out and moved to Ethel. It left a mess on the walls, and I wanted something different to cover it up,” said Sanders.
Colorful jungle animals abound in the nursery, both on the wall and on the rug. The bright mural is peel-and-stick, but still took Sanders hours to complete.
“That was very much a labor of love, as were a lot of the projects in the church,” he said.
Another time-consuming project for Sanders was the 3-D sculpture of the scripture John 3:16, which wraps around the wall of the foyer.
“I saw this and liked it, but it was terribly expensive. I went home, sketched it, cut it out of wood and installed it,” the deacon said.
Bright color even abounds in the restrooms. Butterflies, flowers and colorful crosses continue the cheery theme found throughout the building. Although much has been done, there remain other rooms waiting to be remodeled.
“The Lord has blessed us with our fund-raising. We’ve been able to do one project at as time as the money has come in,” Sanders said.
One of many projects to be completed is what Sanders referred to as the memorabilia room. Old Zama school photos and other ephemera await placement once the room is finished.
“The school reunion is held here every year. We want to get this room ready for alumni to enjoy,” he said.
The outer facade of the building continues the arch theme with the windows and the light fixtures under the covered wheelchair ramp. The exterior still boasts the original brick, although Sanders said church members may decide to whitewash it at some point.
“Some members think it will give the space a more church-like appearance,” he said.
Zama Baptist Church currently has about 100 members led by Pastor Chris O’Daniel.
