Church leader tight-lipped about expansion

Officials at a Clinton Township church don’t have much to say about their plans for an expansion of their facility that is expected to go before the township’s Planning Commission Thursday night.

Victory Christian Church on the east side of Hayes Road, north of Canal Road, is asking for site development plan approval for their proposed addition.

The Macomb Daily attempted to contact the church’s lead pastor, Kenneth Krucker, but instead received a phone call back from Douglas Johnson, a Rochester-based architect, who said Krucker declined to comment on the addition.

Victory Christian Church was on a January agenda, but the matter was postponed by planning commissioners until Feb. 8 after church representatives did not appear at the meeting.

Johnson blamed the noshows on a “miscommunication.” Like Krucker, he declined to talk about the expansion and what it entail.

According to information on the church’s website, the addition may be what’s described as Phase 1 that would include a 4,670-square-foot expansion to the building’s south end. The move would result in an increased seating capacity of about 200.

The addition also would create a dedicated youth space, larger children’s ministry area, more restrooms, an increased commons area, and a new parking lot.

Although the website lists the addition at 4,670 square feet, planning documents state the church proposes to construct a 3,270-square-foot expansion. The existing building is about 6,300 square feet, according to planning documents.

Planning Director Bruce Thompson said the parking lot will continue to be accessed by one driveway on Hayes and one at Canal.

According to Victory Church’s website, Krucker joined the Victory leadership team in February 2020 as the executive pastor and was elected as lead pastor in January 2023. He and his wife, Merilee, served as missionaries to Africa for 27 years in the countries of Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana, and South Africa.

Krucker “desires to see the local church reach their community and the nations of the world,”

Thursday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Civic Center, 40700 Romeo Plank Road.

IMAGE — CLINTON TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA DOCUMENT This drawing by Rochester-based architect Douglas Johnson shows what the expansion would look like once it’s complete.