A Detroit-Area Church Buys an $8.3 Million Florida Mansion From a Buccaneers Co-Owner

• Kingdom of God Global Church of Taylor, Michigan, bought an estate in Avila, near Tampa, for $8.3 million.
• The main house covers 28,893 square feet, with a 2,620-square-foot guest house.
• The purchase carried a $4.9 million mortgage; the sellers were Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband.
• The church is linked to David E. Taylor and Joshua Media Ministries International.

A church in a Detroit suburb has bought a very large estate in the Tampa area. MinistryWatch reported that Kingdom of God Global Church of Taylor, Michigan, paid $8.3 million for an estate in Avila, Florida.

The property includes a main house of 28,893 square feet and a 2,620-square-foot guest house. The purchase was financed with a $4.9 million mortgage. The sellers were Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, a co-owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and her husband.

The church is associated with David E. Taylor and Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI). Taylor’s biography describes JMMI as “committed to establishing God’s Kingdom through the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel”. The report did not say how the church intended to use the mansion. It also noted 2019 reporting by the News Herald in which former members accused Taylor of running JMMI as a cult, allegations described in that coverage.

Church ownership of luxury homes can raise questions about tax exemptions, donor trust and governance.

A church buying a mansion far from its congregation is unusual, and it invites scrutiny. Church property is held on trust for the church’s purposes, and members and the public are entitled to ask how an asset serves the mission. Jamaican congregations should make sure that any property bought with church money, especially residential property for leaders, is approved through proper governance, fits the church’s stated purposes and is recorded openly in its accounts. Transparency protects both the church’s reputation and its tax position. Where a mortgage is involved, members should also know how the loan will be repaid and what happens if the church cannot pay.

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