The Peoples Church Believe campaign has been raising money since May 2018. This campaign has raised almost $17 million out of its $18 million goal. They have plans for constructing one new two-story children’s building, moving the GL Johnson Chapel, and refreshing a portion of the 40-acre campus.

The GL Johnson chapel was opened in 2005 to honor the legacy of the late pastor GL Johnson. The chapel is scheduled to reopen by Easter 2019. The church’s front orientation will be changed from E. Fir Ave. to N. Cedar Ave.

This became community news when ABC30 and Action News anchor Dale Yurong reported on the move in their video article 220 ton chapel relocated as Peoples Church undergoes expansion, Dec. 3.

For the 13 years, the GL Johnson has been used to hold weddings, funerals, and Peoples Church classical services. After the move and an interior refresh, the building will be used for the same events.

The 8,000 square foot, 300-ton chapel was moved by Dinuba House Movers, using hydraulic jacks, dollies and steel beams, just over 200 yards to the opposite side of the church in 3 days. Thursday night it was placed into its final resting spot. In the chapel’s place, Quiring General is constructing a 35,000 square feet two-storied children’s building as an expansion to the main church. Construction on the children’s building will begin sometime next year and will be finished by Spring 2021. Other changes are re-doing the parking lot and expanding it, accommodating for more cars.

Pastor Brad Liebe has been the COO at Peoples Church for four years. He shared about how the move affected the people of the church, the new building, and about the changes that could happen to Fresno Christian Schools.

Pastor Brad Liebe of Peoples Church speaks about the changes to the Peoples Church campus, including updates to the move of the GL Johnson Chapel in the following podcast.

According to The Feather’s article published in May about the Believe campaign written by Bryce Foshee, Jeremy Brown, the Fresno Christian superintendent, says, “People naturally pour into their kids; they love their kids,” Brown said. “So what Peoples Church now is making children, even more, a priority at Peoples Church. And you can’t just say ‘we love children’, you need to visually make a difference.”

On Sunday, Dec. 9, Peoples Church will have their normal services and members should be able to enter through the main front doors.

GLJ Chapel on the move from The Feather Online on Vimeo.

For another video, watch Lessons and Carols 2018.

For another article, read Peoples Church launches campus building project.

The author can be reached by via email: Austin Petersen, Instagram and Twitter.