Harlem Church Seeks To Sell Its 'Uninhabitable' Home To Developer

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem church is asking for the state's permission to sell its longtime home to a real estate developer, saying the decaying building is no longer of use to its congregation.

Since 1962, Faithful Workers Christ of God Church has owned its one-story brick building at 262-264 West 135th St., between Frederick Douglass and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. boulevards.

But the small space is in dire need of renovations, leaving it "in such a state of disrepair that it is uninhabitable," the church wrote in court documents filed Tuesday.

Indeed, a complaint filed with the Department of Buildings last June described the building as "abandoned," and "in a state of decay."

Now, Faithful Workers Christ of God is in contract to sell its building for $1.25 million to a buyer listed only as 264 West 135 Residence LLC, which shares a Brooklyn address with the development company GB Properties. GB already filed plans back in 2019 to demolish the church and construct a seven-story apartment building in its place.

If approved by the state, the sale would mark the latest chapter in an eventful few years for the building.

In 2018, Faithful Workers Christ of God filed suit against one of its former board members, alleging she had stolen the building's deed and secretly handed the building's ownership over to Devar Chaim Ministries, another Harlem-based church.

That suit was ultimately settled months later, with Devar Chaim Ministries agreeing to transfer ownership of the building back to Faithful Workers of God, court records show.

With that turmoil in the rearview mirror, the church is now asking a judge to approve the sale — a required step under state laws that govern nonprofits and religious groups. The church's trustees unanimously agreed to the sale last year, according to court filings.

Unlike some other Harlem churches, which have lately begun selling off their houses of worship while facing financial constraints and declining membership, Faithful Workers Christ of God says it is financially solvent, and has already found a new home, currently holding services at New Gospel Temple Church in the Bronx.

Selling its Harlem building will allow the church to move to a new facility better-suited for its needs, it attests.

Other Harlem church buildings sold to developers in recent years include the All Saints Catholic Church on East 129th Street, Child's Memorial Temple on Amsterdam Avenue, Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church on West 126th Street, Grace Congregational Church on West 139th Street, and Harlem Pentecostal Assembly on West 131st Street.

In some cases, the church buildings were later demolished to make way for housing, while others are being converted to new uses — like All Saints, which will soon begin a new life as a charter school.

Related coverage:

• Another Harlem Church Building To Be Sold After Merger
  
• Another Harlem Church Goes Up For Sale: See Inside
• Historic Harlem Church To Be Converted Into School After Sale
• Harlem Pastor Sold Church To Developer While Pocketing Cash: AG
• Permits Filed To Demolish Harlem Church Set For Redevelopment