A Concerning Trend in Church Affordability
Just last week, I was in three different conversations with Houston pastors facing the same sobering reality: buildings are becoming too expensive to maintain.
Facilities that were once a symbol of stability have become a pain point as prices rise across the city. As property values climb, the "cost of entry" for the Gospel in strategic neighborhoods is skyrocketing.
How can we maintain and recover these spaces so that no part of Houston loses access to a gospel witness?
If we want the Kingdom to continue expanding across Houston, we have to find a better way forward.
This issue isn’t just a budget line item. It’s a strategic challenge for the future of our city. If we want the Kingdom to continue expanding across Houston, we have to find a better way forward.
That conviction is at the heart of Project Norhill.
One Facility, Many Churches
For months, UBA has been seeking to acquire a historic property in the Heights, an increasingly strategic yet unreached part of our city. Our vision is to reclaim a gospel footprint in a neighborhood where rising costs are currently pushing churches out.
Rather than merely reclaiming a traditional building, we would establish a church planting incubator.
This would be a shared space where new congregations can grow to sustainability, focusing their energy on people and ministry rather than the crushing weight of real estate, before eventually moving to their own permanent locations.
Navigating the Process
Recently, we reached a critical juncture. We were unable to extend our due diligence period under the current contract because there were still significant questions that needed resolution. As stewards of your trust and resources, we could not responsibly move forward and close without full clarity.
This is not the end of the story. It is a reset for the sake of sustainability. We are actively pursuing a new contract—one that allows us to move forward with the confidence and diligence this project deserves. The need in the neighborhood is still growing, and the absence of a visible gospel presence in this part of Houston is still deeply felt.
Your Individual Partnership Matters
In our 180+ year history at UBA, we’ve seen that once-in-a-generation opportunities require unique collaboration.
When this association helped found Houston Christian University, it wasn't funded solely through church budgets. It was the generosity and conviction of private donors—individuals who believed in a vision larger than themselves—that brought that institution to life.
We find ourselves in a similar moment. This is about more than a building. It is about creating a pathway for future churches to flourish in the heart of our city.
How You Can Join Us
By creating a shared space specifically for church plants, we remove the greatest barrier they face and will continue to face in the future.
Project Norhill would allow:
Pastors to focus on ministry, not property maintenance.
Churches to launch stronger, rather than wait years for a lease.
The gospel presence to be multiplied, not lost to a rising market.
We appreciate your prayers and financial partnership to make this dream a reality. We aren't asking for equal gifts, but for a collective, collaborative investment in the future of Houston.
To partner with us, you can designate your gift at: ubahouston.org/give
Thank you for standing with us as we work to see the Gospel take root in every pocket of our city.
Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.
It’s going to take collaboration to reach the forests and deserts of Houston.