MARKHAM, ON—“It was like God was kicking down the doors.” Ken Davis, pastor of The Olive Branch, describes the amazing change of events that led to the purchase of a notorious local striptease club by a new church with a desire to transform their community, even when it meant personal sacrifice.
Options appeared to be running out for the mostly upper-middle class congregation in Markham, just north of Toronto, that had been meeting at Angus Glen Golf Course for a year. Exploration of 30 potential locations for a permanent home was unsuccessful.
When the congregation’s real estate agent jokingly suggested the owners of Friction, a local strip joint, might consider selling, they decided to check it out. Their inquiry was initially ignored. Then the owners decided to sell, but the deal included the business along with the building.
Eventually, the club owners agreed to sell the 23,000 square-foot building for $4 million. Davis recalls, “Harry James, the head of our elder’s board walked into a board meeting and announced that [the club] had signed an agreement with conditions that the church raise a $2 million down payment in three Sundays.”
The challenge was enormous for a new church of 350 people (including children). Davis says the board realized they would need to lead the way in making personal sacrifices to raise the money and by the time they presented the proposal to the congregation, had already raised $700,000. The congregation voted to go ahead.
In just three Sundays the church raised $1.36 million dollars, with one member offering an additional $600,000 as a loan—a feat that Davis says is impressive for December, a time of year when most people are already overwhelmed with requests.
Beneficial move
Davis says buying property rather than renting as many churches do, has its benefits.
“We want to be good stewards as a church,” he explains. “Costs associated with renting a facility were over $80,000 a year.”
And, he adds, a permanent home allows the church to better reach out to the neighbourhood.
“In Canada, if you don’t have property you aren’t viewed as permanent,” says Davis. “To reach out to teens and to care for the poor we need a facility available 24/7. We are praying that within five years The Olive Branch will be one of this community’s greatest assets. To accomplish this we felt we needed to have a footprint in the community.
The town of Markham is backing The Olive Branch 100 per cent, as the purchase means the closure of a former community eyesore at the gateway of a new subdivision.
“We want to be a church where the people who owned and worked at Friction could come and have their souls’ needs met,” says Davis. “No girl ever dreams of working as a stripper; no dad ever hopes his daughter will work in a place like that. Closing a strip joint will make a positive difference in this community.”
