Churches are known for helping the homeless through charity.
After a deal with the Waterford Township Board they thought was complete fell through, the Divine Peace Metropolitan Community Church is now looking for a home of their own.
Divne Peace, located at 5311 Sunnyside Drive in Independence Township, has until May 22 to find a new home.
‘We will be homeless come May 22,? said Rev. Deb Dysert, who estimated the church has held services at the current location for five years.
Members of the church learned of the board’s decision on March 27 after believing they had an agreement for the last 3? months.
Following the Dec. 12 Waterford Township board meeting, the Church thought they had finalized a deal with the township to purchase the historic church on Andersonville Road for $250,000. The deal was $160,000 less than an appraisal of the property completed in December.
‘We were leasing. We were on a month to month basis,? said Dysert. ‘After the week of the meeting, we called our landlord and told him we were confident we had a deal?(The board) shook our hands and congratulated us. We notified the landlord the next day.?
The minutes from the Dec. 12 board meeting available on-line stated the following:
‘The Andersonville Church Committee recommends the Township Board conditionally accept the Divine Peace offer of $250,000; pending acceptance of a 5 percent earnest deposit, the negotiation of the contract using the services of the Township attorney, and with the negotiated sales agreement submitted to the Township board for final review and consideration.?
According to Waterford Township Supervisor Carl Solden, the board learned from HUD following the tentative agreement that the money from the sale of the property would have to go back to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at the appraised value. He explained the township used Community Block Grant Funds in the 1970’s to purchase the church.
‘It’s an unfortunate situation,? said Solden. ‘We would have had to find the $160,000. We don’t have that money laying around. If we did, I’d hire a few more people.?
‘There’s a wide range of feelings and reactions. Some are angry and some are trusting this is God’s hand at work. While we don’t like the way it worked out’we’re confident God has something else available for us,? said Dysert.
Dysert expressed further frustration saying no one at the church was notified by Waterford Township officials of any potential problems. She claims a church member was contacted by a reporter with The Spinal Column alerting them to a potential problem with HUD.
‘We trusted we had a deal and a couple of months later they changed the rules,? said Dysert. ‘I’m a resident of Waterford. It causes me concern, our word should be our word.?
‘These things happen,? said Solden. ‘Our integrity was attacked by their attorney at the board meeting, but we have an obligation to the citizens of Waterford to the best we could do.?
Solden said there are thoughts among the board to potentially put the property out to another bidding process and the church would be welcome to bid for the appraised value.
The church, made up of about 70 members, has arranged space at a hotel for future Sunday services as it continues to look for a place to conduct business and midweek services.
‘We’re calling around and exploring every option we can come up with,? said Dysert.