Since its revelation at the Jan. 3 Bethlehem City Council meeting, the pending sale of three Southside churches has met a flurry of confusion.

Leaders of St. John’s Windish Evangelical Lutheran, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran and Light of Christ Lutheran churches have been in discussion to join congregations for financial reasons. The three church buildings – and a large parking lot – have all been placed on the market, with interested parties including the city and Lehigh University, which currently has the high bid.

Tensions

and pressures

But there are tensions regarding both of those parties, namely, what Lehigh might do with its ownership and what pressures the city will apply to gain the lot for itself.

Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley Interim Director Anna Smith is adamant the three churches are intrinsic to the community, used not only for worship but for polling places and after-school and summer programs.

Smith and the other community leaders ask that Lehigh, “do the responsible thing and be a good neighbor: Withdraw your bid or commit to reselling St. John’s Windish and its parking lots to the City of Bethlehem for public use that is determined by the Southside community.”

Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem Director Winston C. Alozie agrees.

“My biggest concerns is that they are going to throw a wrecking ball onto those churches,” he said. The century-old architectural designs and their historical significance cannot be forgotten, he said.

“There’s a lot of history and no one knows Lehigh’s intentions,” Winston said. “My hope is that it [St. John’s Windish] will be used for public use, something good for the community.”

Lehigh University outbid the city by $200,000.

City’s response

Mayor William Reynolds said in a statement, “The city was not presented with a counteroffer or otherwise given an opportunity to go back with a higher offer. But we have said that we would be willing to match the current highest bid. We recognize that this situation offers a rare opportunity for the public to repurpose neighborhood space for a community-driven use that addresses the neighborhood’s most pressing needs, including by possibly providing a range of housing solutions.”

However, St. John’s Windish congregation President Ken Remaly said in a statement, dealings with the city were not so simple. Two weeks after turning down the city’s bid in early December, the Bethlehem Parking Authority delivered a resolution for condemnation of the East Fourth Street lot and seizing it under eminent domain.

Windish response

“What we are necessarily focused on now is seeking a withdrawal of this threatened condemnation and seizure of our property, and the assurance that we can proceed with our plans for sale of our properties and our coming together as Blessed Trinity, without coercion or threats from any entity. If this can happen to our church,” Remaly said, “it can happen to other churches. If it happens to nonprofits, it can happen to individual property owners.”

A St. John’s Windish parishioner who spoke to the Press on the condition of anonymity, said it’s been a wildly emotional few weeks.

“These are three congregations, with deep roots in the Southside, who need to merge in order to survive,” the parishioner said. “Many hope that regardless of the outcome of the sale, the buyer will recognize the importance of these buildings and what they represent to those who live here.”

Bethlehem Parking Authority announced that it would not stand in the way of its potential sale.

In a statement, Lehigh University’s Director of Communications Lori Friedman said, “Lehigh University respects the process the congregations are following and intends to move forward with the purchase. We are grateful to the congregations for their thoughtful consideration, recognizing these are important and historical community spaces within Bethlehem. We have a shared commitment to being responsible partners. Lehigh’s future, and our past, are indelibly connected to Bethlehem and the Southside with a 158-year history of sharing in our vibrant community together.

“We’ve entered this process in good faith and we see this purchase as creating opportunities for Lehigh to collaborate with the community, local and regional officials, and a range of neighborhood organizations. Lehigh wishes to express our deep willingness to work with the community in ways that directly support their needs alongside and in conjunction with Lehigh’s educational mission.”