In August 1976, Dr. E. C. Thomas became the State Overseer and saw the building brought to its finished beauty. The block laying alone took exactly one year. E. F. Sibbett, who was chairman of the building committee, was elevated to the position of Superintendent of Construction. Joseph Chambers became the chairman of the building committee. The committee included S. A. Lankford, H. D. Sustar, James Griffin, W. C. Loftis, and A. B. Dawsey.
In September 1976, Dr. E. C. Thomas, the new State Overseer, and the new State Council were given the task of completing the building.
The building, which featured a remodeled pre-existing structure and a new addition, spanned a total of 12,000 square feet. It was composed of 129 rooms with seating for 3,600 people in the auditorium and approximately 2,000 in the gym for overflow. The banquet room on the third floor had a seating capacity of 530 while serving and approximately 1,000 for assemblies. The library had the capacity to hold 50,000 books.
The value set by the Mecklenburg Tax appraiser was $3,112,000. The building was constructed and furnished for a cost of $2,600,000.
DEDICATION, CAMP MEETING, JULY 4-10, 1977
Camp Meeting 1977 was one of the most exciting ever held. It had been thirty years since the first Camp Meeting at Charlotte, but the air was electrified with a spirit of love and unity during the week of dedication, July 4-10, 1977. The air was charged with enthusiasm as Dr. E. C. Thomas led the church toward the dedication of the new facilities and East Coast Bible College.
