Bethany Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington had been considering utilizing a portion of its building as affordable housing for newly-arrived immigrants in the community for a while.
But then, in January 2022, a two-alarm fire changed everything. The Spokane Fire Department determined that the cause of the fire was an “overloaded circuit” in the church sanctuary. Fortunately, no one was injured.
“We are reminded God is with us no matter our situation … The Bethany congregation is a very resilient group of folks, a very faithful group of folks who are inwardly strong and outwardly focused on our neighbors and on our community,” a statement on the church’s website reads.
“As much as we liked our building, we are reminded again and again: The people of God are the church.”
The church’s sanctuary in the wake of the fire. Photo courtesy of Bethany Presbyterian Church
Since 2022, church members have worshipped at a neighboring Presbyterian Church, and the county’s firefighters have used the old building as a training resource.
Congregation leadership and a rebuilding committee have also been figuring out what the rebuilding process would look like.
Through insurance claims and standard rebuilding and repair procedures, they realized this time presented the perfect opportunity to finally create the affordable housing project the church had long dreamed of.
“It could probably be rebuilt and renovated, but nobody liked the building to start with. That was one of the steps and feasibility we looked at. Could we demolish that building and financially recover enough funds out of [the] insurance settlement to build the apartments and a new sanctuary?” Brian Royer, the chair of the rebuilding committee, told Presbyterian Church USA in a video.
The church has partnered with a local housing nonprofit, Proclaim Liberty, to sponsor what they call The Bethany Project, a $12 million community campus that will include a small sanctuary, a community center, and two apartment buildings.
Another view of the church’s damage after the 2022 fire. Photo courtesy of Bethany Presbyterian Church
“It really all fell into place when Proclaim Liberty was willing because they knew the whole process, and they were willing to walk the road with us. That just sealed the deal,” Royer said. “It was a God thing. The Holy Spirit put us together.
Offering 22 units, half of the apartments will be open to low-income families through THRIVE International, a nonprofit that supports immigrant and refugee resettlement in Spokane. The other half of the units will be offered to Spokane’s Family Promise, a homeless shelter in the area.
“We haven’t lost hope, and we’ve never lost our sight for what we need to do,” Sharon Smith, a member of the rebuilding committee, told KREM2 News.
“We’re having [a] dialogue right now about what could be helpful. How can we walk side by side and help these people get their families safe and sound?”
Smith said the community center will include a communal kitchen, classrooms, and a playground.
“As many congregations across the nation see dwindling attendance, congregations are finding new ways to put their missions into action. Bethany Presbyterian Church is taking the devastating fire at their church to find new ways to provide housing to the homeless and other low-income families,” a vision statement for The Bethany Project reads.
“As a congregation, they have been ‘homeless’ themselves for the last two years. Their compassion, experience, and commitment have led them to this use of their property.”
According to a report on the church’s website, the land was dedicated to the project in the fall of 2025, and demolition will come next. The idea is that the estimated funding package for the project will close in June 2026, and construction will follow.
Smith told KREM2 that the hope is that the project will be completed by Easter of 2027, and that the church is roughly $1 million shy of the project being fully funded.
“Whether it’s just next month or if it’s in six months … it will happen,” Smith said of the funding goal. “We’re very confident that what we’re doing is the right thing.”
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Header image courtesy of Bethany Presbyterian Church
