Friday, January 19, 2007

A Christian Idea of Property

Wow, can you believe this?

Birmingham —- Midfield First Baptist Church, which had dwindled to about 40 mostly elderly, white worshippers, recently held its last service in the church building it had called home for nearly 50 years.

A week later, it handed over the keys —- and its $1.8 million property —- to a predominantly black Baptist church called New Beginnings in a property giveaway that gives new meaning to the church's name.

"Somebody came up with the idea: Why don't we just give them the building?" said the Rev. Eugene Nail, 78, pastor of Midfield First Baptist since 2000. "It was built with tithes and offerings, and it's the Lord's building anyway."

The whole article is here. (Hat tip to Barb G.)

2 comments:

Just Me said...

WOW! I've always dreamed that something like this could happen - and now I have hope! thanks for sharing this post! By the way...how's your foot( feet) healing up??

Anonymous said...

I just got home from our annual church meeting where we were discussing this very thing happening to our church. Another church in the city is considering giving us their building and assets. They have about 40 members left (or something like that) and those members would come under the leadership of our church. It is a very delicate (and messy) process, but it could end up being an amazing thing.

I'm aware of another church here in Seattle that gave their building to a young church, who then outgrew it and gave it to another young church.

Jen in Seattle