Living progressing on move to North Carolina

By Mac Overton

The Living Church of God (LCG), based in San Diego, Calif., plans to move its headquarters to Charlotte, N.C., in early spring or summer of 2003.

The announcement came in a weekly update posted on the Internet for the LCG by evangelist Dibar Apartian of San Diego.

In the Aug. 15 edition of the update, Richard Ames of San Diego, secretary and treasurer of the LCG, announced that the church had made an offer to buy a 38,000-square-foot office building in Charlotte.

Examination period

The decision became final at a telephone conference of the church's council of elders Aug. 14, said Mr. Ames, who later reported that he, as LCG treasurer, and the seller, the Smith Family Limited Partnership, signed the contract on Aug. 20.

"LCG now has a 30-day examination period to inspect the property and ensure its integrity," said Mr. Ames.

Mr. Ames said Roderick Meredith, founder and president of the LCG, had opened the teleconference by describing the history of the church's relocation research.

Over the past two years Dr. and Mrs. Meredith and others had visited and scoped out facilities in Austin, Texas, Nashville, Tenn., St. Louis, Mo., Tulsa, Okla., Charlotte and other locations.

The facility the church is purchasing, in the Crown Point business park in Charlotte, dates from 1995 and is in "very good" condition, Dr. Meredith said.

Rodger Bardo of Garden Grove, Calif., a research consultant for the church (and assistant Garden Grove pastor), compared the costs and benefits of operating from Charlotte as opposed to San Diego.

According to Mr. Ames, in Charlotte the church would save thousands of dollars in sales tax, property tax and business costs and would avoid San Diego's rising office-leasing costs.

Increasing response

Mr. Ames said that Living's space requirements are growing, with the need to fulfill increased response to the church's television broadcasts, which is up 48 percent over last year, and a 45-percent increase in the circulation of Tomorrow's World magazine in one year.

If the deal is finalized, the Living Church of God would take possession in November, then move its headquarters either in early spring or summer of next year.

The council of elders, conferring Aug. 26-28, reviewed the relocation project and discussed transition plans.

Dr. Meredith founded the Living Church of God in 1998.

Write the LCG at P.O. Box 503077, San Diego, Calif. 92150, U.S.A. Visit the LCG on the Web at www.lcg.org.

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