If Russell Sirois buys the Edgecomb Baptist Church, the Boothbay-raised, Edgecomb resident said he would consider himself its steward.

“Someone needs to step up and save the building, and that's my role, in my mind,” Sirois said in an interview December 2.

Sirois, of Eddy Road, said the more than one and a half-century old building on Old County Road needs work; he thinks the repairs can be made in keeping with the church's historic value, he said.

But for now, he isn't sure he'll end up buying the place whose owner, the Grace Baptist Church in Chelsea, has been trying to sell for more than a year.

“I have made an offer, which they have accepted. So now we're doing due diligence, researching the property, and that is the step it's in,” Sirois said.

The property's potential buyer had not been named publicly until the December 2 Edgecomb selectmen's meeting. Selectman Stuart Smith said it was Sirois.

Sirois wasn’t there, but later confirmed he was the potential buyer.

The board was discussing the lingering question of whether or not the town should take the Grace Baptist Church up on its recent offer of an old cemetery that is part of the property.

The church had hoped it would have better luck selling the property without the cemetery, according to the church's real estate agent.

Smith and Selectman Jessica Chubbuck said Monday they see no benefit to the town owning the cemetery. Voters agreed in 2007 to take over its maintenance.

Board Chairman Jack Sarmanian said his view on the cemetery issue might depend on the next owner's plans for the property.

In the telephone interview later Monday evening, Sirois declined to say what he might decide regarding the cemetery. Discussing it now would be putting the cart before the horse, he said.

“All options are on the table and can be discussed after I've become the owner, but that's still months away,” he said.

The same goes for potential uses for the church, he said.

“The possibilities abound,” he said.

Sirois said one obvious idea would be to make it his own work space, as Smith had mentioned during Monday's meeting; or it could someday be used as a church again, Sirois said.

Whatever its future use, Sirois said he does not intend to do anything that would detract from its traditional look.

“It may be one of the most significant buildings in town .... It’s in rough shape, but at its core there’s a building there that’s worth saving.”