Abandoned Citrus Heights church could see new life as school
CITRUS HEIGHTS - From a place of worship to a place of waste: A local church has become a neighborhood eyesore.
The once-popular church was closed during the COVID pandemic, and since then, it's been trashed by vandals, drug dealers, and squatters.
But there's a plan underway to bring the church back to life.
The Citrus Heights United Methodist Church is more than 60 years old but it closed during the pandemic and has sat abandoned and boarded up for more than two years.
"It was an elderly congregation and they dispersed themselves into other congregations," said Pastor Kenneth Sullivan with the First Apostolic Church.
It soon became a neighborhood nuisance by attracting vandals, drug users, and the homeless.
"Windows...broke out, trashing the insides, blankets on the floor, just garbage strewn all over," Faith Christian Academy administrator James Champlain. "I'll be honest with you...probably hundreds of needles."
Champlain is trying to save the site.
"It's kind of a nostalgia thing; it's nice to keep a church a church," he said.
Faith Christian Academy is a K-8 school down the street from the church. Champlain wants to expand classes to this property.
"When we open this campus, it will allow more room for more children," said Champlain.
But it's going to take a modern-day barn-raising effort to bring this old church back to life.
"It's part of the community; it's been here since 1961 and we're just asking if you can help us, wonderful," he added.
"It's going to cost us 10 or 15 thousand just for cleanup," said Sullivan.
They've already filled up two dumpsters with trash and they're looking for donations and volunteers in an effort to keep this property from remaining a neighborhood blight.
"There's a few hurdles but we're confident we can make it," said Champlain.
The school is currently leasing the site from the methodist church, but they hope to purchase the property once it's fixed up.