Sold for $1.1 Million, Still Worshipping Inside: A Congregation Sells Its Campus but Keeps Meeting There

• First and St Stephen’s UCC in Towson sold its building in February 2026 for $1.1 million
• The buyer is local resident Steven McIntire
• The congregation can use the building free until September 2026
• Leaders chose a buyer who would use the campus for community needs

A Maryland congregation has sold its church but is still worshipping in it, the United Church of Christ reported in March 2026.

First and St Stephen’s United Church of Christ in Towson sold its building in February 2026 for $1.1 million to Steven McIntire, a local resident. Under the arrangement, the congregation can use the building on Sundays until 1.30pm, on Thursday evenings and one Tuesday a month through September 2026.

“We have a very good relationship with the buyer who is allowing us to use the building for free till this September,” said consistory president Emily Perl. Explaining the choice of buyer, she said: “Knowing that the campus would be used for the needs in the community was much more important than the money being offered.”

The congregation remains active. “People have stepped up. Everyone is doing something to keep the church alive,” Perl said. “We are living moment by moment. And we are okay with that.”

The sale shows that price is not the only factor when a church sells. By choosing a buyer whose plans served the community, and negotiating continued use of the building, the congregation gained time to plan its future without the burden of the property.

Jamaican churches weighing a sale can consider similar terms: a period of continued use, access for particular ministries, or conditions on how the site will be used. These should be written into the sale agreement, with dates and responsibilities clear, so that goodwill does not depend on memory alone.