ChurchSpace is changing how churches use their spaces by turning underutilized real estate into vibrant community hubs.
Nicknamed the “Airbnb for churches,” this innovative app allows churches to generate additional income by renting out their facilities as commercial kitchens, event venues, and meeting spaces.
Created by the millennial pastors’ kids Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown, ChurchSpace addresses church leaders’ financial pressures and offers a new model for community engagement.
Empowering Communities Through Church Real Estate
Launched in 2019, ChurchSpace aims to strengthen local communities by repurposing church real estate.
“Church real estate is something that’s often overlooked, and we want to change that narrative,” Edwards told The Guardian, “change how people look at church real estate, how they connect with the use of the local church.”
The app features property listings equipped with modern amenities, including lighting, instruments, audio, and streaming equipment, making them attractive for various events and gatherings.
It also allows multiple clients to rent the same space, offering fixed time slots for services, office hours, and activities like Bible studies and choir rehearsals.
Adapting to Declining Church Attendance
Edwards and Brown met during an LA Urban League Zoom call and quickly connected over their shared experiences as pastors’ kids witnessing the financial struggles of their parents’ churches.
Recognizing the need for innovative solutions, they collaborated to create ChurchSpace.
“The average church building sits empty about 69% of the week,” Brown told Millennial Mogul. “Also, one in three pastors considers leaving the ministry due to financial responsibility.”
As church attendance in the U.S. continues to decline, a trend worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, ChurchSpace has become a vital tool for churches seeking to remain relevant and financially viable.
According to a 2022 Pew Research poll, 20% of respondents reported attending church in person less often, while 15% attended virtual services more frequently.
To adapt, Edwards and Brown launched ChurchSpace TV, a streaming platform that enabled churches to stream their services. Faith Media One later acquired this platform, allowing the cofounders to focus on expanding ChurchSpace as a marketplace connecting churches and locals nationwide.
Funding success and future growth
ChurchSpace’s success has led to rapid expansion, with over 350 churches already onboarded and over 6,000 ‘ready to book’ registered users. The team is also leveraging AI tools to help churches onboard quickly and easily.
The startup has secured over $500,000 in funding and grants from BK-XL, Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Impact Accelerator for Black Founders, and Talent x Opportunity by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Millennial Mogul reports that the company recently closed a partnership to add 1,200 more churches to the platform, with a market value of $9 million.
“Churches started to realize that, especially when attendance started going down, they have to reach out to their community,” Edwards told The Guardian. By transforming underutilized spaces into community hubs, ChurchSpace is helping churches not just survive but thrive in a changing landscape.
Image credit: ChurchSpace
