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MOLENA - The sign at the corner of Hwy 109W and Hwy 18 said, “Good things are coming to Molena.” What kind of things was the question as Pike County Times just happened to be in Molena that day.

The answer was so much more than expected with changes coming to the strip of buildings there at the intersection and maybe even changes for City Hall.

Changes in Downtown Molena

The buildings in downtown Molena now have a new owner. City Hall is still owned by the City of Molena and 14 Spring Street is still owned by Ken Scurry. All of the other downtown buildings are owned by Tim Stamey.

Some of the possibilities for the future include a high end restaurant in the two story building. Clerk Tina Lee said that the current tenants including Molena Meadows and others on the main strip are staying and that the new owner wants to see them continue to succeed.

She said that Stamey also has plans for the end building next to the ATM. He is already working to with the proper authorities fix long-term water issues in that area so that each building will have its own water meter in order to get businesses open in all of the buildings on that strip.

Grace Community Baptist Church / Molena Baptist Church

In July, Grace Community Baptist Church donated its property to the City of Molena, and the City voted to accepted to the offer. “The idea was to keep this available to the community instead of this ending up being possibly purchased by some sort of a corporation that comes in and tears it down,” Lee said.

According to the July 13, 2026 Executive Session minutes, council members discussed the pros and cons of accepting the parcel as well as potential municipal uses before returning to regular session and voting in open session to accept the offer. The Regular City Council Meeting Minutes show that the Council voted 4-0 to accept the donation of the Grace Community Baptist Church / Molena Baptist Church property.

Since then, council members heard a request from Pastor Robert V. Gabriel on the behalf of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church about the possibility of renting the sanctuary every other Sunday for approximately two years while his congregation rebuilds its church.

City Council members have been deliberating on relocating City Hall to the Grace Community Baptist Church / Molena Baptist Church property. This discussion has continued through the September and October meetings as inspections are being conducted to find out what needs have to be addressed in the building along with possible costs. Look for more discussion in the future.

And council members have heard from representatives of Pike County Christian Outreach who discussed their ongoing building maintenance concerns with City Council “in hopes of ensuring a continued smooth and uninterrupted operation of their organization and mission.” An agreement has been put in place to allow the Outreach Center to continue their work in the community.

Pike County Christian Outreach Center

Gwen Duke from the Pike County Christian Outreach Center spoke to Pike County Times to talk about their mission in the community and how the Thrift Store works.

The Pike County Christian Outreach Center is a thrift store at 2526 North Main Street in Molena. The Thrift Store is open Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is also open on the 1st Saturday of each month.

They also give out toiletry items but do not give out food (see info about Little Manna Foods below), and they are no longer able to transport citizens to doctor appointments. They have narrowed their ministry down to help as many people as they can. How does this ministry work?

They accept donations from the community that are either dropped off in the donation bin or brought when they are open to the public. They accept donations like dishes, cookware, shoes, and gently used and washed clothing. PLEASE NOTE: They are not able to accept large donations like furniture, beds, dressers, etc. because they do not have room for large items like this.

Gwen said that donations are placed in the store for purchase with nothing being very expensive, and the money from those sales is used to help Pike County residents with water, propane, and power bills. “We try to help where we can,” she said.

Those who are in need of help from the Outreach Center must bring a bill with them that they need help with and an ID such as a driver’s license which shows that they are a Pike County resident to the Outreach Center when they are open.

Those who are in need of food can connect with Little Manna Foods which is located across the highway from the Outreach Center. www.littlemannafoods.org

Closing

There is also a discussion about the possibility of having a community room for Molena that will provide an indoor space that is not available when residents rent the outdoor pavilion. Discussion about the church is ongoing in City Council Meetings.

www.molenaga.com has a calendar with upcoming events including City Council meetings and Big Foot Fest which will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2026 in downtown Molena.

Large pictures of City Hall and both churches are on Pike County Times' Facebook page.