Champions Fax Archive

Relocation Issues
By Stephen Parks
Volume 3, Number 23, November 16, 1998

Do you like to move? I don't – it's a lot of work! Moving is sometimes the best thing for a church. Relocation can lead to new vitality and growth. Part of this growth is due to the sociological strangulation of a community or the physical strangulation of aged or tiny buildings.

Some of the major issues a church will face when considering relocation:

1. Clarity of purpose is essential for a successful relocation. Why does the congregation feel the need to relocate? Is the church seeking to recapture the kind of people it had in its congregation in the past, but have now moved away? Will a different location be advantageous to a church that is seeking to change its focus to a special purpose church or to a more regional church? Is a declining church seeking to duplicate the positive effects it has observed in the relocation of another church? Instead of a relocation of the entire congregation, perhaps the church should consider sponsoring a new congregation.
2. Is this type of church needed in this location? Is the new location closer to – or further from – its existing and potential new membership? Will the new location continue to be attractive to potential members in the future? Will the main "customers" of the church be former or new members?
3. The Old Location. What will the church do with the existing facility? If another church cannot or does not want the property, should the congregation give it away or sell it to a non-church organization? What if no one can or will buy it? Who will carry on ministry in the present location after this church relocates?
4. The Costs. What will the relocation cost in terms of people and money? Can the congregation overcome the emotional attachment to the present facility? Does the church have the perseverance to stay with a relocation process that could last as long as ten years? Can the congregation continue viable ministry with the possibility of acquiring a large debt in the process?
5. Leadership. Are the pastor, staff, and key leaders of the congregation convinced this is what God desires? Does the church leadership have the needed change agents to overcome the status quo? Is the pastor committed to stay through the relocation process and beyond?
6. Church Support. Will the church go through the process that produces "buy in" for the overwhelming majority of the members? Is the congregation committed to change, to financially support the relocation, and to drive to the new location?
7. The Transition Time. Should the congregation meet temporarily in two locations during the transition? Should the congregation attempt a one-time move, from the old to the new location? How will the staff function during the transition time? How long should the transition period last?

Stephen Parks, Ph.D., is Church Development Consultant for the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association. He can be reached by email at 103321.2256@compuserve.com.

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