A Macon church has a major sinkhole issue and is waiting for the city of Macon to repair the problem.

When Macon pastor, Willie Thomas, came by the Empowered Life Harvest Church one morning a few years ago, he couldn't help but notice something a little different about his church property.

"I saw a gigantic hole and I did not know where it came from until someone told me that the ground had sunk down," Thomas said.

The large sinkhole formed after a city storm pipe broke in late 2009 Thomas said. At the time, Thomas said the city told him they'd fix it and even brought dirt to fill the sinkhole. However, the dirt is now covered in shrubbery and weeds overtake the caution fence.

"Delays and more delays, nothing ever happened," he said.

The hole still remains and Thomas said he and his congregation are concerned about it now more than ever.

"We don't want this to be an eyesore for the neighborhood,” he said. “But mainly we don't want anyone hurt either."

This isn't the church's first time losing ground; Thomas said a sink hole formed back in 2009 in the same spot after a city pipe broke under his church property. He said city workers came out and repaired it but about eight months later a second pipe broke and another sink hole formed in the exact same location and has been there ever since.

"I contacted the city recently and someone came out and looked,” he said. “They said that they would get on it and that it would get done."

That was about a month and a half ago. However, a city spokesperson assures it will be taken care of in the future. Macon City Council approved a $7 million contract with the Macon Water Authority on Tuesday night. The MWA will use "SPLOST" money to repair pipes around the city like the one under the church property.

"The pastor can expect some of that work to begin very soon,” Director of Public Affairs for the Macon Mayor’s Office, Chris Floore said, “Macon Water Authority will be in charge of developing those time lines and getting that work completed."

When the fixes are made, Thomas said he wants it done right.

"We would like it repaired the second time and done in a matter that this won't happen again," he said.

Floore said the sink hole is one of the top five priority listed projects.