Leaders at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church today announced plans to “seek a development partner who understands the church’s unique role in the Oak Lawn community and shares its vision for responsible, community-oriented growth” with an eye to “potential redevelopment could include a mix of retail, office, multi-family, or loft residential space across approximately 55,000 square feet, including 18,000 square feet of adaptive reuse.”
The Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, senior pastor at the church, said the move is intended to ensure the church’s legacy and reassured the community that the church “is not going anywhere.”
We are rooted in this community, and we intend to be here for generations to come,” Griffin-Allison said. “We are here to stay—and we are here for good.”
“This moment is not about scarcity or retreat. It is about possibility,” the pastor continued. “We are choosing to steward our space in ways that expand our ministry, deepen our impact, and reflect the kind of inclusive, justice-centered community we believe God is calling us to be.”
Griffin-Allison said the church is “exploring a partnership with the right development partner” in order to “make the highest and best use of the space we have, and to be faithful stewards of this property for the long future of God’s beloved community at the corner of Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs.”
The church, established in 1874, will mark its 152nd anniversary in September. And now, Griffin-Allison said, “In a time when many institutions are shrinking back, we are leaning in—committed to creating a place where all people are fully welcomed, where community can flourish, and where love shows up in tangible, visible ways.”
Watch the Friday, April 3, issue of Dallas Voice for a more in-depth opportunity.
— Tammye Nash