If a church is a family, then Seabreeze Church in Huntington Beach found itself confronting a question most families face: Should we remain renters, or stretch, take out a big mortgage and become owners?
For nearly two decades, the evangelical congregation held services in the theater of the city’s central library, and before that, met in a senior center. But in 2004, near the peak of the real estate market, a rare opportunity in the virtually built-out city presented itself: A failing tennis club was for sale. After much discussion, Seabreeze saw a chance and took the plunge, building a $12.5-million campus on nearly five acres.
“Literally, it was a gift from God,” administrative pastor John Stoffel said of the land becoming available. “We were biting off a huge chunk. … It was a risk. But we thought it was a risk that was worth taking.”
In retrospect, the timing couldn’t have been worse.