SLIDELL, La.  A fast-growing Assemblies of God church has scrapped plans to buy space in a fading strip mall and is setting its sights on 138 acres near Lacombe for a church, school and Bible college complex, the Times-Picayune reported.
The Harvest Church's agreement to buy about 30 percent of the former Slidell Factory Outlets expired Dec. 30 and church officials did not renew it, Missions Pastor Ken Maat said.
Instead, the church put up $50,000 as part of an agreement to buy the Lacombe property for an undisclosed amount.
Maat said the church was unable to obtain financing and other terms acceptable to the church for the mall property. He said the church expects to have better luck acquiring the land near Lacombe.
Church officials said work to build the church, kindergarten through 12th-grade school, Bible college, and recreational and other facilities will take a long time.
"It'll be a lifelong project with that much land," Maat said. "We're investing in the future. We're taking it one step at a time."
The first step will be a new church facility on at least 15 acres. The church has about 1,400 members and the Lacombe area complex is part of a goal to expand its reach to that of a regional church.
