Edited excerpt from A congregation renovates the old and builds something new to serve its members and community by Kory Wilcoxson for Faith & Leadership.

2020 was a turning point year for Woodland Christian Church – but not for the reason you might think.

The church had hired a new pastor, Rev. Christy Jo Harber, with the mission of addressing underutilized space, growing building needs and a meager budget. The building they had called home since 1925 in Lexington, Kentucky had been in dire need of repair for several years.

While the church worshiped online during the pandemic, they hired an architectural firm to study the building. The report was sobering: The church needed more than $1 million in baseline repairs, not including addressing ADA compliance and upgrades.

The congregation could not return to the sanctuary until the work was done. The church began meeting in “discernment circles” to talk about options moving forward. “Discernment circles were the times and places where we opened ourselves up to hearing from each other and from God,” Harber said.

One of the important learnings from the circles was the congregation’s desire to stay in their current location. The church had become a pillar in the neighborhood and many Lexingtonians who weren’t welcomed at other churches had found a home at Woodland. “Remaining in that location meant we would be able to increase Woodland’s ministry while preserving a beautiful, historic church,” Harber said.

But more than $1 million stood in the way of living out that vision.

While the church was discerning, an elder introduced other church leaders to the owner of Winterwood Inc., a property management firm that specializes in affordable housing.

Guided by the question, “How might we house the Holy?” Woodland and Winterwood began dreaming about how the existing building could be renovated and expanded in a way that would secure the church’s future while providing affordable housing for seniors.

“Seniors are one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness and housing affordability challenges,” said Charlie Lanter, the city’s commissioner for housing advocacy and community development.

In February 2022, the church board began negotiations with Winterwood.

Harber said the whole congregation was enthusiastic about the project. “It seemed too good to be true,” an elder and board member said.
While Winterwood was doing much of the heavy lifting to secure funding and permits, the congregation wanted to contribute to the rebirth. Through a capital campaign, they raised over $200,000 to revitalize the sanctuary so that it could be used both for worship and for performing art events.

The first gift came from Bernice “Queen B” Coleman, 100, a member of Woodland since 1958. When Harber showed Coleman the architect’s rendering of the project, Coleman beamed with pride.

In January 2025, construction began on community and ministry spaces, a restored sanctuary, and The Oaks at Woodland, a 38-unit affordable housing facility for seniors. Unused rooms in the back of the church were converted into eight apartments, and a building would contain 30 more.

Funding for the $13 million project came from a variety of sources, including low-income housing tax credits from the Kentucky Housing Corporation, loans and grants from the City of Lexington, and a construction loan from a bank.

The property opened in March 2026. All units at The Oaks, which were reserved for seniors aged 55 and older who make less than 60% of the area’s median income, were immediately occupied.

“It breathed life into the neighborhood,” said Woodland’s county council representative.

Lanter said the project demonstrated that affordable housing doesn’t have to choose between “function and beauty, or between development and preservation.”

The church and the residents are learning to coexist. They share several common spaces, including a community room and kitchen.

Several residents have started attending Sunday morning worship, and the church plans to sponsor classes open to both church members and residents. People who’ve found a home at The Oaks are already seeing the mutually beneficial relationship with the congregation.

Keith Reid, who joined Woodland Church in October 2025, had no idea about the project, but ended up being one of its first residents. Clarice Taylor, a current resident of The Oaks, appreciates the space the congregation gives her. “Interaction with the congregation is optional; people can just be themselves.”

Woodland Christian Church has found a new purpose and vitality in familiar surroundings, and their willingness to step out in faith has extended God’s welcome to others.

“I have a beautiful apartment,” Taylor said. “I get up in the morning, look out my window at the park, and I know I belong here.”