A Diocese Sells Its Headquarters to the Charity It Helped Start: New Bethany Gets Room to Grow

• The Diocese of Bethlehem is selling its two-storey Diocesan House of more than 6,000 square feet
• The buyer is New Bethany, a nonprofit the church helped found in the 1980s
• The sale is at appraised value
• Diocesan staff will move into space at Nativity Cathedral next door

An Episcopal diocese in Pennsylvania is selling its headquarters to a charity it helped create, Episcopal News Service reported in May 2025.

The Diocese of Bethlehem agreed to sell Diocesan House, a two-storey building of more than 6,000 square feet in Bethlehem, to New Bethany at its appraised value, with the deed transfer scheduled for late May. New Bethany was founded in the 1980s through a partnership between the city of Bethlehem and the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, and works on poverty, hunger and homelessness. Diocesan staff will move into space at the adjacent cathedral.

New Bethany’s executive director, J. Marc Rittle, explained the need: “Although we have tripled our budget and doubled our staff to meet the increasing demand for our services, we are simply out of room.” He added: “We are deeply grateful for the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem’s collaboration and vision in facilitating this acquisition.”

Bishop Kevin Nichols said: “New Bethany ministries was a vision of a reimagined Wyandotte Street where the spiritual and outreach needs of Southside Bethlehem and beyond would be embraced with the love of Jesus.” He added: “We have really kind of walked into a new moment of collaboration.”

The sale keeps the building in service to the same mission while the diocese consolidates into space it already has. Selling to a partner at appraised value is fair to both sides and avoids the building being lost to an unrelated buyer.

Jamaican denominations with surplus buildings could consider selling or leasing to charities, schools or ministries they already work with. A partner that shares the church’s values may make a better buyer than the highest bidder, provided the price is fair and the agreement is clear.