Yesterday, I challenged you to sell your church building. Today and tomorrow, we will look at four groups who might buy your church and what they might do with it. Then in the first part of next week, we will look at the various options a church has if they want to keep their building, but use it in a way that is more missional and kingdom focused.
How to Sell Your Church Building
Some feel that selling a church building is a bad investment. But is it? It all depends on the perspective.
When we own buildings, people associate the church with a building rather than with people. If we don’t own buildings, people may come to understand the church is not about where we meet or what our building looks like, but is rather the people of God living the gospel within the world. With a building, if we grow we have to move or build an addition. If we shrink, we have sell or declare bankruptcy. Without a building, we are more flexible and free to follow Jesus where He leads.
If you do decide to sell your building, one question you may ask—especially if you have a traditional building with stained glass and a steeple—is, “Who would buy it?” Well, you might be surprised. There are a few organizations and businesses that might be eager to buy a place like yours.
We will look at two today and two tomorrow.
1. Sell to yourself.
At the top of the list of organizations that might like to buy your building is your own organization. That’s right. You can sell your building to yourself. I don’t mean you personally, as the pastor (Though some churches do this, it is a shady practice).
No, to sell it to yourself, a few members of the church could start a non-profit organization that is dedicated to meeting a certain need in the community. As part of meeting this need, the newly-formed organization will need a building that can accommodate large groups as well as small classes. What better location than a church?
Then, as part of its activity in the community, and to maintain its financial integrity, the organization could rent the building back to the church. Depending on the financial situation of the organization, the building could be used for free educational or service needs in the community.
Why couldn’t a church just do this on their own? They could, and should. But the sad fact is that many don’t. When it comes to church buildings, most church boards are primarily concerned with maintaining the cleanliness and purity of the church grounds. People with beer cans or bad language are not allowed on the premises. So for this option to properly work, the board members of the organization must have a clear vision for serving the community, rather than just being a front for the church to continue as usual. If the organization exists just to keep the church running as usual, there is no point to creating an additional link in the chain, and this option should be ignored.
2. Sell to another church.
There are almost always other churches in town looking to move from renting a school to having their own building. If you are trying to move in the opposite direction, you may not be too eager to sell your building to another church in town.
But remember, they are not the competition, but are simply on a different path in following Jesus. We are not to judge other servants, but are only to obey the instructions from our own Master. If another church wants to buy a building, and you want to sell one, and both of you believe this will help accomplish your mission in the world, then make the sale. It’s a perfect fit.
Oh, and if you do sell it to another church, give them a really good price. Maybe you could even just give it to them, or let them take over the mortgage. That would fulfill all sorts of kingdom principles.
On a related note, two or more churches could also consolidate. It is always sad to see two or three churches in the same neighborhood, each with a building that could sit a hundred people or more, but only averaging 35 in weekend attendance. If two or three of these churches consolidated their buildings (and staff), a lot of money could be saved on mortgage payments, with the extra funds going toward meeting needs in the community.
Tomorrow we will look at two other groups who might buy a church building, and then we will look at what you can do if you want to keep your building, but use it in a more missional way. If you haven’t done so already, make sure you subscribe to the posts so you don’t miss a single one.
Great series Jeremy! I know of several churches that sold their buildings because the congregation had dwindled to a few people and could no longer afford the buildings. In those situations, the denomination owned the buildings, so the proceeds (money) went back to the denomination rather than to the poor or the community. I’ll wait until you have posted tomorrow to mention who bought those church buildings and what the buyers did with the properties and buildings.
The funny thing about how the denomination owns the building is that they rarely put a single cent into the building. The funds usually come from the people who attend the church in their tithing. Sometimes there is a denominational mortgage fund that the building can use, but the money still gets paid back—with interest.
So when a church closes, I always find it sad and ironic that the denomination wants their building back. It was never their building.
It would be like joining a home-owner’s association in your neighborhood, and when it comes time to move, you handing over your house that you paid for to the HOA. It just doesn’t make sense, and I’m surprised that denominations get away with it.
I do know there are some churches that are suing their denomination over this.
We bought and paid for our church and parsonage. We are Independent and have no backing so we struggled to pay for this and we paid it off in 5 years plus it had been there 50 years with no bathrooms in it. We put bathrooms in it. My husband pastored 1 st. So when he decided to evangelize my mother and dad took over to keep the doors open. They are the ones that said we gonna pay it off. Can I sell? I already have buyers that want it now.
Explain how we can sell the church building to another church, because we cannot keep it up
Yes, it is a shame when the denomination sells the property, pulls the money out of the neighborhood and often puts it into property in the newest upscale upper class neighborhood across town. I’m aware of several churches where the denomination bought and paid for the land, but the congregation paid for the building. Of course the denomination gets the money if the congregation folds.
Yes. denominations usually exist to sustain the denomination. I have a few horror stories about my run-ins with denominations. I will have to save them for later.
What are the requirements to selling a church? Specifically, who sells it? Is it the priest? Doesn’t that mean a priest could sell the church and skip out of town with the money? I’ve read stories like that in the newspaper, I just don’t see how that can happen.
No, typically the priest/pastor cannot sell the church and skip out of town with the money. This only happens where the church board was foolish enough to put the ownership of the church property in the name of the pastor/priest.
I’m not sure what to do but I know of a small church that is being sold and the pastor not only will keep all the proceeds $750,000 but a handsome severance pay package and a guaranteed new job at the church making the purchase, this is a pastor that let the congregation die and got the family and friends left over to vote to ok this…
I have a Big Plot of Land that I want to build a Church on. But I want help from Christians or other Churches that will help me Build this Church. Will like to know if this will be Possible.
Don’t do it! The church doesn’t need church buildings in the first place, and even if we did, the last thing we need right now is more buildings…
I have recently been given all of my church deeds, surveys and other documentation after my father (who was the last trustee of the church) passed away. The church is old and dilapidated and it currently sits on an unused acre of land in the south. There are no services and nor active members of the church so I wanted to see if selling it is the best option or is there another that may be best in the situation? Any thoughts on how to best proceed will be greatly appreciated.
I;m a pastor an I am buying a church an I am leasing it to a startup plant where i’m going to be the senior pastor. can I do this and get 501c3
Church is dissolved and no longer in business. Building is empty, can remaining two trustees sell the building and property and divide the assets?
I AM THE ONLY TRUSTEE TO THIS CHURCH, LOOKING TO SELL 2 ACRES W/ METAL BUILDING. ALL WORSHIPPERS PASSED OR GONE, CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP IT UP FOR YEAR OR TWO. ONLY PAYING ELECTRIC AN WATER. LOOKING TO SELL!!
I do no believe in selling God’s property, (Church) it is an error to think so or even do so.