Mission Church is a nondenominational church in Goodyear. What’s amazing about the realty story behind this church is that it answered two prayers from two pastors who didn’t know each other at the same time. 

Richard

Richard Mercado had a church plant that was around seventeen years old. The church had land, but found out two years ago they couldn’t build on it. Since then, they had been looking for a permanent church home. Unfortunately, like many church plants, they had been meeting in a school but got shut out during coronavirus. They were meeting in another building on Saturday mornings. They knew their situation was preventing them from growing; they weren’t even in their ministry area. 

But after two years and now coronavirus, there were so many shut doors. Richard and his wife found themselves saying, “Lord, where do you want us to go?” They had a good church and weren’t going to give up. Richard found us online, expecting another realtor ready to sell or connect him to a property. He was surprised to see we cared deeply and knew exactly how he felt because of our own ministry experience. Richard poured his heart out. But we didn’t suggest a property. We asked if he had ever considered a church merge. Richard was astonished. He had never brought up a church merge or the fact that the Lord was directing his heart towards a church merge. Richard tried a church merge a few times, but it panned out. However, we had just completed a successful church merge with our very own church. We decided to connect Richard with Kyle Powell, pastor of Mission Church. 

Kyle 

Kyle’s church plant was five years old. They were meeting in a school, but like Richard, could no longer use the facilities because of coronavirus. We had been working with Kyle on pursuing a lease, but the pandemic was complicating mattes. His church had fewer members, volunteers, and tithe money to financially support them. We suggested a connection to try and solve the problem: Richard. Kyle and Richard began to meet, discussing their issues. Richard had people but no where to go. Kyle had a place to go, but not enough people. They met for four months and discussed all of the logistics and practical implications involved in a church merge. We stepped in as a third party during these meetings, giving our own expertise and personal insight. We recommended they read a book about church merges called Better Together. Richard understood his church would be merging under Kyle’s leadership and because of that, Kyle wanted Richard to lead most of the conversations. He wanted to be sensitive toward’s Richard’s church body as he knew they’d be losing some control and trying to process all of these changes. This was important for Richard as he’d been praying for a young pastor willing for him to stay on and help. Richard wasn’t interested in his ministry dissolving, and Kyle supported him. 

Ultimately, both churches voted yes to the church merge. Because of the new congregation members, Mission Church was blessed with new elders and deacons, staff, volunteers, members, and more financial support. And Richard’s church finally had a place to call their own. 

God’s Hand

There were lots of things about this connection that can only be attributed to God. Richard was able to find us because of an ad we posted online — an ad we’d only been running for a few weeks. In their first meeting, Kyle told Richard about a property he’d been looking at. It was the same property Richard was looking at, and it’s where they meet out of now. In a world that’s increasingly divided, Kyle has been humbled to see two churches come together and be an example of unity. Both have had to adjust and show grace. Both have learned to value the other’s perspective and input. Richard has been amazed to see how God used coronavirus to bring two church families together. 

Richard was expecting to do business with a realtor. He never expected his church to be positioned for future growth and multiplication. We want our clients to know more than anything that we value the gospel moving forward over transactions. Financially, we didn’t get anything from connecting Richard to Kyle, but spiritually, it was so valuable. It meant so much to us to be there at the church’s first service together. 

“Ministry Realty was a provision for us. They have a ministry heart and are people who understand the inns and outs of ministry. They see the future from a ministry perspective and for the gospel.” – Richard Mercado

We hope to be a part of more ministry’s stories.