Sold, Then Rented Back for $800 a Month: A Small Congregation Keeps Its Sanctuary by Selling It

• St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Altoona sold its building to local contractor Chris Cook
• The congregation rents back the sanctuary and pantry space for $800 a month
• Utilities, which had exceeded $10,000 a year, are included
• The church feared one major repair would exhaust its savings

A small Pennsylvania congregation has kept worshipping in its church by selling the building and renting it back, Episcopal News Service reported in August 2024.

St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Altoona had not been able to afford a full-time priest for more than a decade. It was drawing on savings to maintain the building, still owed the diocese for an accessibility loan, and was paying more than $10,000 a year in utilities. “It was clear that one new roof or boiler replacement or something like that, and that was it. … We would be out of money,” said junior warden Woody Pyeatt.

The church sold the building to Chris Cook, a local contractor and property manager. The sale price was not disclosed. Under the arrangement, the congregation rents the sanctuary and space for its food pantry for $800 a month, including utilities.

“From the beginning, this church has always had a special place in my heart,” Cook said. “We are beyond grateful for the opportunity and promise to uphold this beautiful building.” Junior warden Greg Williams said: “This gives us more breathing space, more time to see if we can figure out new possibilities.” Pyeatt added: “We just felt like God hadn’t washed his hands of us.”

A sale-and-rent-back shifts the risk of major repairs to the new owner and turns unpredictable costs into a fixed monthly rent, while the congregation keeps its place of worship.

Jamaican congregations struggling with the upkeep of old buildings might consider similar arrangements, but they need careful legal advice. A lease should set out the rent, the length of the arrangement, which rooms can be used and when, and what happens if the owner sells. Choosing a buyer who values the building’s church use is as important as the price.

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