For years, St. Paul’s on-the-Hill has felt a pull to use its property to better serve the community. After a great deal of thought, prayer and planning, the decision was made to raze the church building, allowing for the construction of affordable senior housing. The new construction, known as Senseny Place, will have 63 units built on the church’s 4.97-acre property. It will feature 43 one-bedroom bedroom apartments and 20 two-bedroom apartments specifically for households with members at least 55 years of age. A few units will be reserved for those 62 and older. Senseny Place apartments will be owned and operated by Wesley Housing in Northern Va. For more info, contact them @ 703-642-3830.
I’ve been a part of churches meeting in school cafeterias or hotel meeting rooms on several occasions, church starts who began in these rented spaces with dreams of one day having their own building, of putting down community roots, of, as one senior pastor put it “being legitimate.”
Today I worshipped in a hotel meeting room with a church community who had a building and property. It is their intention to be Christ to their community. In so doing they have sacrificed their building of fifty years and turned over their land to provide low-income housing for the elderly. They gave away their home. I can think of nothing more Christlike. So now they, we, meet in a hotel. I’m happy to count myself among such beautiful people.
Todd Strader
St. Paul's on-the-Hill 