Oracle Online

The university and the church in recent months have explored partnership possibilities after McGough
Construction, the university’s primary contractor, conducted a survey of the building and grounds and determined that the church needs over $5 million in repairs.

The proposal’s approval formalizes future discussions, which now involve three separate parties: the university, the church, and the Minnesota United Methodist Annual Conference (MUMAC).

The purpose of the discussions will be to brainstorm possible partnership options; however, the best option is the outright purchase of the church by the university, according to Hamline VP of Finance Doug Anderson.

Renstrom and the congregation are currently in the process of selecting a three- or four-person committee that will engage in talks with university and MUMAC representatives. Representatives on the university side will include Anderson, VP of University Relations Dan Loritz, and possibly members of the Board of Trustees.

All parties will have to come to a unanimous decision, which must then be approved by the university’s Board of Trustees.

Finance options

The church currently has a total market value of $1.7 million, according to Ramsey County property records. This number is calculated by adding the value of the building to the value of the grounds.

If all parties agree to a university purchase of the church, the exact amount of the purchase will then be determined. The total cost may not include the church’s full market value, Anderson said, because of the associated repair bill.

The roof, which leaks in places, would be the most pressing repair need. McGough estimated this cost at approximately $2 million. After the roof is replaced, the rest of the church’s maintenance costs would be factored into the university’s comprehensive hierarchy. This means any future church repairs would have to be considered alongside repairs to dormitories and other campus buildings.

Anderson said he isn’t sure where the money for purchasing the church would come from, though he added that private donors may come forward if a sale is finalized.

Another possibility would be appropriating funds from the university’s $150 million capital campaign. A portion of the dollars collected for the campaign was not earmarked for specific costs or renovations,
Anderson said, and funds from that portion could potentially be available.

A crossroads

There is no set timeline on the discussion process; however, the leaking roof adds a sense of immediacy to the situation.

Renstrom said he would like the process to move with some dispatch, and he hopes decisions can be made in time to repair the church roof next summer.

Prior to the Oct. 31 vote, the church hosted four open-forum sessions, where the congregation had opportunities to exchange concerns and ideas in an open, “extended family gathering” sort of way, Renstrom said, adding that the sessions were highly positive.

“People were very respectful. Of course, some had differences of opinion, you want that, but the discussion was cordial and cooperative,” Renstrom said.

Rachel Wyman, co-chair of Hamline’s United Methodist Student Movement (UMSM), said the church is at a crossroads, and she is concerned over the partnership prospects.

“It’s unfortunate,” she said, “but I also understand the church has been in extreme debt, and when it comes to being able to function or not function, you have to take whatever steps you can.”
Wyman added that a partnership could easily either strengthen or damage ties.

“I just hope [the university] is respectful, recognizes the church is separate, and doesn’t try to take it over,” she said.

Renstrom is excited by the prospect of partnership, which he said is a “cooperative approach to service” rarely explored by universities and churches across the country.

“We’re moving into a promising period, not just for the university or for the congregation, but certainly also
for the neighborhood,” Renstrom said.