NAMB helps Southern Baptists plant churches everywhere for everyone, but most new churches are needed in and around large population centers, which characteristically have very high housing costs. In New York City, rent averages $2,900 per month across the five boroughs. In Los Angeles, the median home sells for $764,000. Average rent is $2,524 per month for an 800-square-foot apartment. Groceries are 30% more expensive in New York City than in Chicago.
To address this, NAMB has purchased housing units in or near large cities and, in a few cases, in other strategic locations near Multiplying Churches. These houses are intended for temporary use by missionaries. Typically, a church planter and his family live in one of these homes for the first 12-24 months after moving to a city to plant a church. Once a planter is established, they move out and another missionary family moves in. The planter only pays for the cost of utilities.
At the current portfolio size, this collectively saves Southern Baptist planters as much as $5.7 million each year in rent, and each purchase is reviewed by NAMB trustees. As needs shift in an area, homes can be sold, allowing NAMB to further recoup its investment.
Published July 29, 2020