Special Congregational Meeting
On Sunday, March 10, 2024, Messiah Lutheran Church will hold a special Congregational Meeting in the Worship Center beginning at 11:30am. The purpose of this special meeting, which has been called in accordance with Messiah’s constitution and bylaws, is to allow the congregation to vote on the sale of 1.9 acres of our campus to the Olson Company.
After a year of work through Strategic Planning and by our Asset Utilization Committee, your Church Council has determined that sale of the property to a developer is the right best solution needed that allows us to take immediate steps to relieve Messiah of its $4.5 million mortgage debt with Thrivent Financial. Relief of our mortgage allows us to pursue a balanced budget which supports long-term sustainability of our ministry.
Selling the South Campus parking lot is not a decision we take lightly. However, the ability to utilize the gift of this property for continued ministry at our campus is welcomed enthusiastically. As we have shared with our Ministry Partners through the course of our June and September meetings, over the past 18 months our congregation is no longer of a size to generate sufficient gifts and donations to cover both operating costs and annual loan payments. As Messiah’s fiscal reserves continue to diminish, that hard reality has taken on a new urgency to avoid default of our loan.
We encourage all our Partners in Ministry to plan on attending the special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, March 10. In addition, you may view a special video below: