Churches
Many churches carry an antenna site in a steeple or on their grounds.
Who we are
Method Infrastructure is owned and led by Christians, and we hold ourselves to that standard in how we deal with every congregation. In practice that means plain terms, patience with your process, and keeping our word from the first conversation through closing.
The transaction
Here is what changes, and what does not.
- What your church sells
- In most transactions your church sells the lease and the income it produces, and grants us an easement over the space the equipment occupies, whether that is the steeple, a section of roof, or a corner of the grounds. The easement is what allows us to continue granting the tenant its rights under the lease. The sanctuary, the parking, and the rest of the property are outside the transaction.
- What your church keeps
- In most transactions your church continues to own the building and the land. The antennas stay where they are, and the tenant keeps operating under the same agreement it has today.
- How you are paid
- The purchase price is paid in immediately available funds at closing. Where it suits your budget or tax position, the proceeds can instead be structured as a series of payments. The funds are paid to the church entity named on the lease.
Your approval process
We work within the way your church decides.
Church property is held under rules that most buyers never think about, so we start by asking what yours are.
- We expect that your governing body will need to approve the sale, whether that is a presbytery, a diocese, district trustees, a board of elders, or a congregational vote. We build time for that into the transaction.
- We will prepare the offer in whatever form your board or governing body needs, and we will work with the board in whatever way suits it best.
- If your denomination holds church property in trust or requires its own review, we will work with the people who handle that, because the transaction has to be right under your rules as well as ours.
If you have heard from us
If we have written to your church, here is how to confirm it.
Our emails come only from addresses ending in @methodinfra.com. You can write to hello [at] methodinfra [dot] com and we will confirm whether a letter came from us.
Who receives the payment?
The seller of record, which is the church entity named on the lease or the deed. The purchase price is paid to that entity directly at closing.
Does the church keep the property?
In most transactions, yes. We acquire the lease together with an easement over the antenna site. The church continues to own the building, the land, and everything on it apart from the tenant’s equipment.
Our bylaws require a congregational vote. Is that a problem?
It is normal, and we plan for it. Tell us what your process requires and how long it usually takes, and we will set the schedule around it rather than ask you to work around ours.
Will you present to our board?
Yes, in whatever way works best for your board. We will leave the offer and the supporting documents with you so the board can take its time.
What if the antennas are ever removed?
The purchase is a sale rather than a loan, so we have no claim against you if the rent later falls or the tenant leaves. If the tenant were ever to take its equipment down, your church would keep the full purchase price and would owe us nothing.