Covenant Church seeks building plan OK

Covenant Church of Pittsburgh tonight will take an initial step toward building a nearly 4,000-seat church.

The church will present construction plans to the Wilkinsburg zoning hearing board.

"It's a very exciting time," said Pastor Bob Menges, assistant to senior pastor Bishop Joseph Garlington. "Every time you're seeking to be obedient (to God), whether it's big or small it's exciting."

Covenant is a multicultural congregation that draws about 2,500 members from throughout Allegheny County to its current 1,100-seat facility on Andrews Drive, just off Robinson Boulevard near the former Eastgate Mall.

Plans call for a 3,800-seat main sanctuary with expandable seating to accommodate more than 5,000 people on 19.2 acres along Robinson Boulevard near the current church. It also would have a 300-seat wedding and funeral chapel, office space and a prayer tower.

The land was donated to the church in 1993 by Metropolitan Ceramics of Ohio.

Church officials didn't have a firm figure on how much the facilities would cost, but said it will be significantly more than the $2 million paid to build the current church.

Covenant was founded by Garlington in 1971 in the Pittsburgh. He is also worship leader for the Promise Keepers men's movement and spiritual leader for more than 500 churches and ministers throughout the world.

Zoning hearing board member Barbara Thompson said she isn't familiar with all of Covenant's plan other than the church is requesting a variance to establish a place of worship in a commercial district.

The zoning hearing board is to meet at 7 tonight in the third floor auditorium at the Wilkinsburg Municipal Building, 305 Ross Ave. Council approval also is required before the project can advance.