First Notes: This Sunday’s Vote (Plus One Important Update on the Proposed Parking Lot Sale)
Dear FBC Family,
Happy Thanksgiving week to you! I hope you have a restful, gratitude-filled holiday. Jen and I will have our daughter Emily in town for a few days, and we will head to Alabama during the week for lots of food and extended family time. I look forward to being with you Sunday.
At the end of each service on Sunday, we will have a vote on two items: some bylaws changes and a proposed sale for a surface parking lot we own. The first vote on our bylaws will be with a simple “yea” or “nay.” The second vote on the sale of property will be held by paper ballot. (On Wednesday, we will send out both motions by email, and if you are not able to be present on Sunday, you can still cast your vote. Watch your email for instructions.)
The bylaws changes, which have come from our Long Range Planning Committee, have been extensively discussed during Wednesday business meetings. They involve changes to such items as clarifying who supervises ministerial staff, adapting how the Church Council chairperson is selected, and how our committees and councils are structured.
Our second vote has also been discussed in a Town Hall meeting, various deacons meetings, within the Church Council, and at our most recent Wednesday Business Meeting. The motion was tabled (as our bylaws require us to do) until a Sunday morning vote, which will take place this Sunday.
The Motion
Our church has received a $5 million offer on a surface parking lot we own on the corner of Locust Street and West Hill Ave. Our understanding is that the lot would be used with other contiguous lots to create a live/work residential complex or a hotel.
Our independent appraisal has concluded that the property is valued at considerably less than the offer on the table.
Why are we considering this offer? While the church has abundant resources, this offer has helped us to see that we have an underutilized asset.
For the last five years, we have received between $85,000 and $135,000 from leased parking spaces on the lot. At the price of $5 million dollars, that means we are earning between 1.7% to 2.7% each year from the property’s value. We believe that if we sell the property and invest the money, it will earn greater dividends to be used for ministry purposes.
Conservative estimates, while of course subject to market fluctuation, suggest that we could be receiving double or more the current income we receive from the property.
If we empower our trustees to sell the property, we will immediately invest the proceeds for 12 months. During that time, our Finance Committee will formulate a plan for long-term use of the proceeds, to be brought back to the church for approval, with the goal of implementing the plan before or with the start of the 2027-2028 fiscal year operating budget.
Some have asked for greater clarity on how the proceeds will be used. We will have robust discussion about that in the coming year, with the Finance Committee taking the lead to consult with our Facilities Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, and other parties and groups who have a strong input on this question.
Personally, I support this motion from our Church Council and believe it is in the best interests of our church.
Yes, selling it does negate any future use or development we could do with the property. We could also potentially lose out on any additional value the lot would accrue in the coming years.
However, the offer we have comes from a very motivated buyer who is seeking to develop more than one lot; thus, his interest is greater than someone who was seeking to develop the property as a stand-alone lot. Furthermore, the sale of the property would provide resources our church can leverage to sustain our long-term presence in downtown Knoxville, while increasing our missions impact.
For these reasons, I support the motion from our Church Council.
Parking in the Future
Many people have raised some important questions and concerns about selling the property. What if we want to develop it ourselves in the future? What about our long-term parking needs? These are valid concerns and I value the church members who have raised them.
We have held the property for about 40 years as a significant investment. While a wonderful resource, it is located in a place that is not contiguous with the rest of our property. For the last 5 months, we have asked people in various settings and meetings to pray about potential uses. To date, no one has suggested a working idea for what we might do with that property in terms of ministry. Its size and distance from our main property make that unlikely beyond its usefulness as a parking lot.
Furthermore, we want to be good stewards and not guilty of “burying” a treasure and not using to the fullest what God has given to us.
What about parking in the future?
One important update I want to give you is regarding what our parking deck contract actually says. We have previously been stating that we have 45 years left on the lease, but I apologize for that incorrect information. We actually have perpetual easement to park on the deck on Wednesday evenings and Sundays, plus an additional 40 days during the year with notice. There is no expiration year on our use of the deck.
So our parking is secure for the future with enough spaces for our current congregation, plus plenty of room to grow. If for some reason we weren't able to use the deck in the future, the surface lot would not be sufficient for our parking needs (plus, it is a little far for people to park and walk). Thus, we would have to look at building our own parking deck on our back lot, which has ample space.
Parking is essential for the future of our church downtown, but I believe we have more than what we need. That’s why I’m confident we can sell the surface lot and invest it for future ministry purposes.
The Importance of Unity
It’s been said that God is a mathematician. God loves addition and multiplication — seeing new people come to faith in Christ. Sometimes God allows subtraction — pruning what is growing to help more grow in the future. But God hates division. God doesn’t like it when the Body of Christ is divided or at odds with one another.
While people may disagree over what needs to happen with this vote, I don’t believe we are divided. Nor do I think this will divide us. We want to be careful to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Jesus said that others will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35).
How we get to decisions matters as much as the decisions themselves. That’s why we have had a thorough, multi-layered, prayerful, and deliberate process to address this opportunity.
While we don’t always agree on everything, we can disagree without being divided. But we must commit to loving one another, assuming the best of one another, serving one another and supporting one another. ‘
Let’s move boldly into the future together!
I love you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Brent McDougal
Happy Thanksgiving week to you! I hope you have a restful, gratitude-filled holiday. Jen and I will have our daughter Emily in town for a few days, and we will head to Alabama during the week for lots of food and extended family time. I look forward to being with you Sunday.
At the end of each service on Sunday, we will have a vote on two items: some bylaws changes and a proposed sale for a surface parking lot we own. The first vote on our bylaws will be with a simple “yea” or “nay.” The second vote on the sale of property will be held by paper ballot. (On Wednesday, we will send out both motions by email, and if you are not able to be present on Sunday, you can still cast your vote. Watch your email for instructions.)
The bylaws changes, which have come from our Long Range Planning Committee, have been extensively discussed during Wednesday business meetings. They involve changes to such items as clarifying who supervises ministerial staff, adapting how the Church Council chairperson is selected, and how our committees and councils are structured.
Our second vote has also been discussed in a Town Hall meeting, various deacons meetings, within the Church Council, and at our most recent Wednesday Business Meeting. The motion was tabled (as our bylaws require us to do) until a Sunday morning vote, which will take place this Sunday.
The Motion
Our church has received a $5 million offer on a surface parking lot we own on the corner of Locust Street and West Hill Ave. Our understanding is that the lot would be used with other contiguous lots to create a live/work residential complex or a hotel.
Our independent appraisal has concluded that the property is valued at considerably less than the offer on the table.
Why are we considering this offer? While the church has abundant resources, this offer has helped us to see that we have an underutilized asset.
For the last five years, we have received between $85,000 and $135,000 from leased parking spaces on the lot. At the price of $5 million dollars, that means we are earning between 1.7% to 2.7% each year from the property’s value. We believe that if we sell the property and invest the money, it will earn greater dividends to be used for ministry purposes.
Conservative estimates, while of course subject to market fluctuation, suggest that we could be receiving double or more the current income we receive from the property.
If we empower our trustees to sell the property, we will immediately invest the proceeds for 12 months. During that time, our Finance Committee will formulate a plan for long-term use of the proceeds, to be brought back to the church for approval, with the goal of implementing the plan before or with the start of the 2027-2028 fiscal year operating budget.
Some have asked for greater clarity on how the proceeds will be used. We will have robust discussion about that in the coming year, with the Finance Committee taking the lead to consult with our Facilities Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, and other parties and groups who have a strong input on this question.
Personally, I support this motion from our Church Council and believe it is in the best interests of our church.
Yes, selling it does negate any future use or development we could do with the property. We could also potentially lose out on any additional value the lot would accrue in the coming years.
However, the offer we have comes from a very motivated buyer who is seeking to develop more than one lot; thus, his interest is greater than someone who was seeking to develop the property as a stand-alone lot. Furthermore, the sale of the property would provide resources our church can leverage to sustain our long-term presence in downtown Knoxville, while increasing our missions impact.
For these reasons, I support the motion from our Church Council.
Parking in the Future
Many people have raised some important questions and concerns about selling the property. What if we want to develop it ourselves in the future? What about our long-term parking needs? These are valid concerns and I value the church members who have raised them.
We have held the property for about 40 years as a significant investment. While a wonderful resource, it is located in a place that is not contiguous with the rest of our property. For the last 5 months, we have asked people in various settings and meetings to pray about potential uses. To date, no one has suggested a working idea for what we might do with that property in terms of ministry. Its size and distance from our main property make that unlikely beyond its usefulness as a parking lot.
Furthermore, we want to be good stewards and not guilty of “burying” a treasure and not using to the fullest what God has given to us.
What about parking in the future?
One important update I want to give you is regarding what our parking deck contract actually says. We have previously been stating that we have 45 years left on the lease, but I apologize for that incorrect information. We actually have perpetual easement to park on the deck on Wednesday evenings and Sundays, plus an additional 40 days during the year with notice. There is no expiration year on our use of the deck.
So our parking is secure for the future with enough spaces for our current congregation, plus plenty of room to grow. If for some reason we weren't able to use the deck in the future, the surface lot would not be sufficient for our parking needs (plus, it is a little far for people to park and walk). Thus, we would have to look at building our own parking deck on our back lot, which has ample space.
Parking is essential for the future of our church downtown, but I believe we have more than what we need. That’s why I’m confident we can sell the surface lot and invest it for future ministry purposes.
The Importance of Unity
It’s been said that God is a mathematician. God loves addition and multiplication — seeing new people come to faith in Christ. Sometimes God allows subtraction — pruning what is growing to help more grow in the future. But God hates division. God doesn’t like it when the Body of Christ is divided or at odds with one another.
While people may disagree over what needs to happen with this vote, I don’t believe we are divided. Nor do I think this will divide us. We want to be careful to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Jesus said that others will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35).
How we get to decisions matters as much as the decisions themselves. That’s why we have had a thorough, multi-layered, prayerful, and deliberate process to address this opportunity.
While we don’t always agree on everything, we can disagree without being divided. But we must commit to loving one another, assuming the best of one another, serving one another and supporting one another. ‘
Let’s move boldly into the future together!
I love you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Brent McDougal
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