The Hall County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning Thursday for a historic southeast Hall County church to construct a new building and sanctuary.

Cross Plain Missionary Baptist Church off Dixieland Farm and Cross Plains roads plans to develop the building where a stand of trees now lies — and not far from the current white cinder-block building, which can be seen from Candler Road/Ga. 60.

Church leadership said on Monday that the current sanctuary is about 50 years old “and is in need of a great deal of repair.”

The church, which, according to a marble cornerstone, was organized in March 1879, also has a cemetery on the property.