Church Growth Trust was recently gifted The Tabernacle in Hastings. This is a prominent church building on one of Hastings’ busy High Streets near the beach and the railway station. The trustees wanted to retire and the remnant of the church occupying the building has also decided that they will close in the near future. Church Growth Trust were delighted to be able to help the trustees by taking on the property and we are now in the process of finding an Evangelical church to continue the Gospel work from the building.
The Trust Deed, under which the property was held, was drawn up in the 1850s and had some “interesting and unhelpful” clauses in it, which would have restricted the type of church that would be able to occupy the building in the future. Church Growth Trust’s solicitors, Ellis-Fermor & Negus were able to give some sound and practical advice to be able to deal with the complicated Trust Deed and through their help the property has now been transferred for Church Growth Trust to hold under our own trusts. Simon Hale of Ellis-Fermor & Negus commented “it was a pleasure to work with Church Growth Trust and to devise a solution which honoured the terms of the original trust and at the same time allowed the building to be used for fresh gospel ministry”.
Giles Arnold, Church Growth Trust’s Chief Executive, said “our core work at Church Growth Trust is to safeguard buildings such as The Tabernacle for Gospel use in the future. We are privileged to be able to help in this case. Our Architect is drawing up plans to make the building compliant for legislation and our Property Manager is in active discussions with an Evangelical church in the town to take on this building in the very near future.”
