After decades of serving the community, University Baptist Church held its final service Sunday, Oct. 26, marking the end of an era for its longtime members. The sanctuary was filled with several emotional congregants who gathered to share memories, sing hymns, and say goodbye to the place that had been their spiritual home for generations.

Mary Wright, a devoted member and the church’s organist, reflected on the moment. 

“This has been my church home…for over 40 years, which is amazing to me,” Wright said. “So it’s very, very sad to see the church close, but it’s now time to move on.”

The church leaves behind a lasting legacy in Carbondale. Though the building will close, members say the spirit of University Baptist will live on through the continued community service provided by its clothing  and food pantry.

When the church decided to close, it offered its building to Good Samaritan House — a local nonprofit that provides food, shelter, and other assistance to people experiencing homelessness.

Initially, Good Sam voted to accept the offer to move its entire operations into the former University Baptist Church building. However, after further discussion and rezoning concerns, Good Sam withdrew its decision and declined to occupy the property.

The Carbondale Planning Commission was set to consider a rezoning request at its Wednesday, Oct. 29 meeting that would have allowed Good Sam to operate at the UBC site. 

Community members and Carbondale City Council members spoke at the Oct. 14 council meeting about the potential rezoning to allow Good Sam to take over the University Baptist Church building. 

City Council member Nathan Colombo said he personally did not believe it was a good idea to relocate Good Sam’s entire operation into “the midst of our largest owner-occupied neighborhood on a main corridor leading to the university campus.”

His statement, intentionally broad, left room for interpretation. Some residents saw it as a “not in my backyard” issue, others worried about property values or university image, but Colombo emphasized that the core issue was viability and fit — both for the organization and the neighborhood.

He also pointed out that Good Sam’s own financial review aligned with some of the council’s concerns, and the organization’s decision to back out showed that it wasn’t a financially sustainable move.

According to Colombo, there wasn’t one single reason behind the council’s hesitancy — rather, a mix of financial, logistical, and community-based concerns.

While the immediate issue around the church has settled, Colombo said this situation has sparked wider community engagement around homelessness in Carbondale — an issue that has been growing, especially after the Washington Street Garden, a former haven for unhoused residents, was cleared in September.

Colombo, who has worked with the Center for Empowerment and Justice helping unhoused people since 2017, said the city is now planning to create a Carbondale Homelessness Action Plan. This plan would bring together local leaders, nonprofits and residents to coordinate solutions and resources.

“Ultimately, what this has led to is an energized community who is prioritizing the conversation around homelessness and those with the least amount of resources in our community,” Colombo said. “People can be angry or happy about what happened with Good Sam, but this is just the beginning of real action.”

Staff reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

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