Many churches have redeveloped their church property for affordable housing. Learn from their experiences here.
Learn More →We have developed training materials that can help you and your church leaders to successfully develop your church's property.
View Here →Step-by-step guidance for UMC churches to develop their property in accord with the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
Access Now →There is a growing body of case studies and examples of churches that have redeveloped their property for affordable housing. National organizations have developed promising practices to support churches in this journey. For United Methodist churches, we have gathered the resources below.
Many churches have redeveloped their church property for affordable housing. Learn from their experiences here.
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FBDI provides houses of worship with the knowledge and tools to develop underutilized land into affordable homes and community facilities.
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Learn with other churches that have developed their underutilized property into affordable housing.
View a Sample →The United Methodist Church (UMC) Book of Discipline outlines specific guidelines for church development. Understanding these regulations is key to successful project planning.
Additionally, the development process itself is complex, requiring careful planning from concept to completion. Below are resources to help navigate both UMC-specific requirements and general development best practices.
Key Resources
Rev. Sam Marullo, Ph.D., directs Build-UMC and is a retired ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Minister of Affordable Housing for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, assisting over three dozen churches in exploring housing development on their properties. He has also supported UMC churches nationwide.
Rev. Marullo is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Wesley Theological Seminary and formerly chaired Georgetown University's Sociology Department.
Learn more about him →The Property Development Handbook for United Methodist Churches provides step-by-step support for church leaders undertaking a development process. The Handbook may be accessed here for churches that have already purchased a copy.
To review the Table of Contents, click here. To inquire about purchasing a copy, contact our team.
Inquire About a Copy →Have questions or need guidance on your project? Contact us to learn how we can help you achieve your mission-driven goals. Whether you're exploring development opportunities, seeking strategic advice, or looking for partnerships, our team is here to assist.
Reach out today to start the conversation!
Get in Touch →"The feasibility study that Rev. Marullo arranged for our church played a huge catalytic role in getting us to think about how we could use our property to serve the community. We are so thankful for this jump start for our affordable housing development project."
"The Handbook is a blessing! I can't imagine how I would have ever figured out how to navigate the development process in addition to pastoring the church to which I've been appointed."
"I really appreciate the step-by-step breakdown of the process that Dr. Marullo presented to our Building Committee. We didn't have any idea about how we could even start such a project."
"Dr. Marullo really helped us to address all the questions we needed to consider as we were starting our project. We had no idea how much we didn't know before we got started on this project."
"Rev. Marullo helped us to clarify what we needed to get out of this development project in order to sustain our church for the long term. We feel like we are now getting the most out of this project both for the community and for the church."
"Our District now has a well-established process for churches considering developing their property for affordable housing thanks to the work of Rev. Marullo."
Contact us to learn how we can help you achieve your mission-driven goals. Whether you're exploring development opportunities, seeking strategic advice, or looking for partnerships, our team is here to assist.
Reach out today to start the conversation!
A member of our team will follow up within two business days.
