$1.35 Million for a Guest House, Nearly $1 Million for 16 Churches: A Mennonite Conference Shares the Proceeds

• The International Guest House near Washington, DC, had a ministry of more than 50 years
• It sold for $1.35 million in November 2020
• $933,570 was distributed to 16 congregations
• Hyattsville Mennonite Church received $466,785, and 15 others $31,119 each

A Mennonite conference has passed the proceeds of a property sale directly to its congregations, Anabaptist World reported in August 2022.

The Allegheny Mennonite Conference sold the International Guest House, which had served for more than 50 years just outside Washington, DC, in Maryland. The sale, in November 2020, brought in $1.35 million. After closing costs, a tithe to Mennonite Church USA ministries, a gift to the denomination’s archives and an increase in conference reserves, $933,570 was shared among the conference’s 16 congregations.

Hyattsville Mennonite Church received half, $466,785, because of its long-standing participation in and support for the guest house. Each of the other 15 congregations received $31,119.

Conference moderator LeAnne Zook described the distribution as “radical trust” in congregations. The only condition was that they share their stories over the next several years. Conference minister David Mishler said: “This is a once-in-a-generation kind of opportunity for our congregations to imagine how to partner with the Spirit of Jesus.”

The decision raises a question every denomination faces when it sells property: whether to keep the money centrally or pass it on. Allegheny chose to do both, keeping reserves and a tithe while trusting congregations with the rest, and recognising the one church most connected to the asset.

Jamaican denominations selling surplus land or buildings could consider similar rules in advance: how much goes to reserves, how much to the wider church, and how much back to local congregations. Clear rules agreed before a sale reduce disputes afterwards and help members see that property is being managed well.

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