Church is hot property

THOSE searching for a real estate bargain may have had their prayers answered with an historic church up for grabs.

Reverend Andrew Otte at the Laidley Baptist Church that's being sold as the congregation now has too many members to fit. Picture: Sarah Harvey

THOSE searching for a real estate bargain may have had their prayers answered with an historic church up for grabs.

The Baptist Church in Laidley has been forced to go under the hammer for all the right reasons - the congregation has outgrown its present home.

Laidley's Ray White Rural principal Clint Christison said he had been inundated with inquiries about the unique property.

“We've received in excess of 40 phone calls and quite a few inspections, so we are expecting a great turnout on auction day,” Mr Christison said.

The property located close to the town's central business district is on a 3036sq m property with three titles, sewer, full pressure town water and two buildings on site.

“It's only 800 metres from the Laidley CBD and with the area growing so rapidly it's an amazing opportunity,” he said.

The Reverend Andrew Otte of the Laidley Baptist Church said he was sad to see the church up for sale.

“Because it represents a historical link to the congregation that started in Blenheim in the late 1800s, it's a very important part of our history and one we will be sad to see go,” Rev Otte said.

“It's a great problem to have, but it does make a few of the older people a bit sad.”

Rev Otte said the region's Baptist congregation first began meeting in Blenheim before they moved to Laidley in 1951.

“The hall which was out at Blenheim was moved to Laidley in 1951 and shortly after an extension to the hall was built,” he said.

“The actual church sanctuary was built in 1954 and we have been there ever since.”

The congregation started with only a handful of faithful church-goers, but as the region developed so too has the congregation with more than 150 people regularly attending the church.

Mr Christison said the unique property had a lot of potential.

The church, located on 25 Samuel Street, Laidley will go under the hammer on Friday August 28 at 10.30am.

Originally published as Church is hot property