Hertfordshire church saves historic building

An evangelical church in Hertfordshire has saved a historic building from destruction by securing it as the congregation’s new home.

ChristChurch Harpenden saw off competition from commercial developers as it sought to obtain a town-centre building – once a theatre – that had fallen into disrepair after years of underuse. The council’s plans to redevelop the site into housing were rejected, forcing them to sell. ChristChurch’s Lauren Cox shared with en: “Had the property become available even a year earlier, the church would not have been in as good a position to bid. This timing wasn’t accidental, for God had been quietly preparing the way.”

Gareth Loh, Senior Minister (and one half of the Christian music duo Awesome Cutlery), told en: “When the property came up for auction, we knew that realistically it was a long shot. We would never be able to compete financially with developers… But we found God going before us. Astonishingly, it was our bid that was accepted.”