Trinity United Methodist Church sale final

The historic church is now the property of independent church Potter's House, which after making repairs will create a community center.

Trinity UMC has finally been sold. Potter's House plans to make it into a community center for the young Hispanic community in the area.

York, PA -

After being put on the market, threatened to be demolished and back on the market, again, Trinity United Methodist Church has been sold to The Potter's House, an independent church in York.

Settlement on the sale of the historic building at 241 E. King St. that was deemed condemned by the city, closed on Thursday. Terms were not disclosed.

"It's closure for us," said Leslie Shrader, a Trinity trustee.

But for Potter's House, it's time to hit the ground running with fundraising to pay for the building, the parsonage and extensive repairs needed to make the church habitable.

The historic building is in ill repair, it's roof trusses separated from the roof. It also needs a new roof, repairs expected to be in the $500,000 range.

But once that's done, Potter's House has plans to turn the building into a place for community outreach for the young Hispanic community in that area, said Sue Diaz, who handles fundraising and public relations for Potter's House.

Back in the day, Diaz said, Trinity held Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and daycare. And Potter's House has plans to bring that type of outreach back.

"Our congregation now has an active praise band and youth group," Diaz said, adding the center can be a place for them to hang out instead of being on the streets.

First on the list is a thrift store, she said. Then low-income daycare. From there, possibly counseling and assistance for those looking for jobs.

"There's a need for this type of thing in that area," Diaz said.

Potter's House is headed by the Rev. Pedro Vazquez, who founded the church five years ago in the living room of his York home. The church now has 300 members. The church plans to apply for grants and hold fundraisers -- the first is set for Oct. 13 in one of the parking lots at the property -- to help fund the repairs and the new center.

"It's a great historical building that we're really trying to save," Diaz said.

There's also a parsonage on the property, so Vazquez and his family can live there and help the community more, she added.

Potter's House has been working on the deal for the building for the past year, Diaz said.

The sale was difficult. For one thing, the building did not have a deed since it was built before deeds had been issued and had never been sold.

Securing a mortgage was also difficult since the building has been declared unsafe by the city. Trinity and Historic York Inc. did some emergency repairs, including removal of the heavy slate roof. Further repairs are needed.

"We're happy we were able to make a deal with the church," Shrader said. "We're glad for them."

For the congregation at Trinity, it means the church can now merge with another church without having to worry about saddling the new church with the liability of the old building, Shrader said.

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Source: http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_21446403/trinity-united-methodist-church-sale-final?source=rss

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