In July, historic St. John’s Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, will begin its transformation into a 10-story, 130-unit apartment building. The Rev. Peter Beeson, the church’s pastor, told the Isthmus that unit prices will be kept affordable for 40 years.
St. John’s isn’t the only church in Madison repurposing itself. It’s part of a local — and also national — trend of old, underused churches being transformed into housing developments, restaurants or other community resources.
Why churches are closing
America is experiencing a “dechurching,” as the Deseret News previously reported. With fewer regular attendees, churches like St. John’s are unable to pay for the upkeep of old buildings, and some are looking to donate or sell their building to make way for new development that could benefit their community.
America has entered an affordable housing crisis, per The New York Times, which churches are increasingly starting to fill.
Experts project that there will be about 100,000 church repurposing projects undertaken in the next decade, per Isthmus. Many churches will turn into housing. Others will become community centers. Still others will be sold to the bidder who’s most desperate for some land.
“Where else do we come up with (space to build) anymore?” said the Rev. Mark Elsdon to Isthmus. He is the executive director of Pres House, an organization that in 2007 built an apartment building that provided housing for 240 students while also generating income for his ministry. “There’s not a lot of space in the urban cores of our cities ... to do new stuff, because it’s all used. Here’s an opportunity now for a number of parcels to be reconsidered.”
How churches are repurposing
In addition to becoming affordable housing or community centers, churches can become restaurants or shops.
Here are some of the more unique ways old churches have been repurposed in the past.
- Townhome: A historic church in Lake Eola Heights, Florida, transformed into a $1.899 million townhome this May. With three floors, 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, the home is functional and comfortable, but it still has much of the historic architecture that made the church special, per The Orlando Sentinel.
- Restaurant: The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Des Plaines, Illinois, was slated for demolition after sitting unused for several years. A local businessman rescued the historic structure by turning it into The Foxtail On The Lake, a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, per KDHL Radio.
- Climbing wall: In April, Pembroke College in Cambridge, England, revealed plans to repurpose a church built in 1874 into a community climbing wall. Builders aim to preserve the original architecture, according to BBC.
- Airbnb and wedding venue: In 2022, a family renovated a Fowlerville, Michigan, church, turning it into an expensive Airbnb rental and wedding venue. The family restored old and damaged parts of the church while giving it a new lease on life, per Detroit News.
- Bed and breakfast: A Missouri couple purchased an old church and went on to raise their family inside it before ultimately turning it into a bed and breakfast in 2018. The Clifton Heights Inn offers a luxurious experience in a “divine” setting, according to KSDK.