Beltway Park Baptist Church is beginning the process of selecting leaders for it North Campus, which is under construction about four miles northeast of campus on Highway 351.

Beltway pastor David McQueen and Keith Roberson, lead pastor for the North Campus, met last month with about 50 people to discuss plans for the new site and the outreach that will take place there.

“Our goal is not to build a new building,” McQueen said at the meeting March 26. “Our goal is to reach people for the sake of Jesus.”

The meeting was designed to select the ministry leadership, or CORE Team, for the North Campus. Roberson said the North Campus project, called the Go Mission, is being designed to reach out to the community in the northern part of Abilene.

“The CORE group is what the North Campus is about,” he said. “It’s about the people willing to pour into God’s kingdom.”

The church leadership decided to expand to the areas late last year, and after a unanimous vote in November, the project nearer to campus was finalized. The church in south Abilene already attracts a significant number of ACU students – at least 200 at its second service on Sunday mornings – and church leaders expect that to increase at the new building.

McQueen said the church still will focus on its mission on the south side of Abilene at its building 15 miles away from the campus.

“Some of us have to stay here and hold down the south fort,” he said. “We still have a mission here, too.”

While students are always welcome at the south location, Roberson expects many will benefit from the new campus’ proximity to the universities on the north side of town.

“We’re thrilled to be more accessible to ACU,” Roberson said. “We have such a huge constituency already. To be more accessible to the community is a great thing – we’re deeply excited about it.”

Roberson said the college ministry will remain a single entity despite the creation of a new campus.

“We will have one college ministry that will serve both campuses,” he said. “Our Wednesday night college service, called 6:33, will likely find its home at the North Campus once it’s built.”

McQueen anticipates that the North Campus will have two Sunday services but said those plans are tentative.

Two more CORE Team interest meetings are scheduled for May 4 and May 7. Information and updates on the North Campus are available at beltway.org/go.

Roberson said the North Campus is scheduled to open early next year.

“Weather can affect construction dates, so we’ll adapt for that,” Roberson said. “But our hope, and our target, is January 2015.”