Sometime between June 2014 and December 2015, the Turning Point International Church reached a turning point. The ministry shed its image of a rugged old country church and replaced it with an upscale look that reflects its international vision. This facelift probably didn’t break the bank, but it’s a wonder what a new roof, a new coat of plaster, the thoughtful application of new colors can do!
Google Earth has a great function that shows map images from previous dates. Click the History button and a slider shows the earliest and latest dates for areal or satellite photographs. In between are tick marks for all dates with images of that site. That’s how I can tell the transformation of the TPIC building is recent. The image below from the church’s website is dated 2012.
But the Google Earth areal view is from June 2014. It shows some streaking on what looks like an old asphalt shingle roof. So it is most likely the church chose the new metal roof out of necessity. But the selection and placement of color on the exterior is suggests a bold and inspired move by the congregation. The bright green is not a color associated with traditional church architecture in the South. But the color choice, its use on the corners, and the sharp contrast with the bright white plaster could easily have come from Miami or the Caribbean.
The church’s website introduces its dynamic pastor, Dr. Rosalind Y. Lewis Tompkins. She founded the church in 1998 as an outgrowth of her earlier work as a founder of Mothers-In-Crisis a non-profit assisting women and families in battling drug addiction, abuse, or other life challenges. Dr. Tompkins is a life coach and a regular community blogger for the Tallahassee Democrat.
I have so far only had a quick tour outside on the TPIC property and have not been in contact with Dr. Tomkins. It would be interesting to find out the inspiration for the big transformation.
Turning Point International Church, 6866 Blountstown Hwy, Tallahassee, FL