Cleaning up — Volunteers work to clear the lot that will eventually contain a new home for David Smith, a local veteran and well-known volunteer.

Building Ministry

When a local church got a call requesting help with winterization, a few members of the church went out to look at the home.

Paul Braxton, a member of Sparta First Baptist Church who was first contacted, could tell winterization wouldn't be enough to save the aging home of David Parlan Smith. Braxton and other members of the Baptist Church who visited the home that day decided to try to do more. Smith, a 57-year-old Vietnam veteran and well-known volunteer, has been suffering from numerous health problems in recent years.

Soon other church members were involved and members of the local Sparta United Methodist Church were brought into the mix as well. A committee was formed to check on possibly building a new home for Smith to replace the one in which he currently resides.

The two churches then presented the idea for a new ministry, the Solid Rock Building Ministry (SRBM), to the Alleghany County Ministerium. The ministerium is an interdenominational consortium of around 20 local churches.

The SRBM also plans to assist other local residents with their housing needs in the future. In its mission statement, the ministry "exists to serve the housing needs of residents of Alleghany County..."

Several local businesses and individuals have donated to the cause to help construct the SRBM's first project, said Randy Andrews, one of its committee members.

The group recently broke ground on a new house for Smith, which will be located right beside his current residence in Sparta.

The new home will feature 1,120 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, Andrews said. He noted that materials for the job will cost around $50 per square foot, according to most estimates.

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