Highland Church Burns Mortgage Note After Paying Off $800K Remodeling Loan

Members of Highland Church, Tenn., gathered on Aug. 9 for a symbolic note burning ceremony, celebrating the payoff of a nearly $800,000 mortgage taken out to remodel the church’s sanctuary, kitchen, restrooms and other facilities.

The event marked the end of a years-long project that began in July of 2016, when church leaders discovered some building issues while considering an expansion. Instead of building new classrooms and fellowship hall, the congregation voted to repair and update the existing structure.

“We realized it would not be responsible to go into this [expansion] project with all of these issues still needing to be taken care of,” Roger Schmidt, the former senior pastor and now a member at the Highland Church, said. “We needed to take care of the house we had before we built another one.”

A Congregation-Led Effort

Church members organized a construction committee. Rather than hire a general contractor, the congregation divided the responsibilities among themselves, managing scheduling, purchasing and oversight of construction. That decision alone saved the church about 25% of project costs.

In addition, volunteers contributed hundreds of hours of labor. The sanctuary was gutted and rebuilt with new pews, carpet, lighting and a redesigned stage. The restrooms and kitchen were also overhauled, parking lots were repaired, and even drainage and structural issues were addressed. For months, worship services were moved to the nearby elementary school gym while crews of volunteers worked through the summer. Construction was finally completed in September of 2018.

Nick Bradley, a longtime member, said the project not only improved the church’s facilities but also strengthened the congregation.

“Probably the biggest blessing was the way that everybody worked together,” Bradley said. “Everybody just came together and added what they could … we had obstacles, but prayer and teamwork saw us through.”

From Deficit to Debt-Free

At the start of the renovation, church leaders worried about finances. The budget was running on a deficit, and taking on an $800,000 loan seemed daunting.

“Our church budget was in the red,” Bradley said. “But as a matter of prayer and commitment, members restructured their finances in a way not only to get our budget in the black but also to pay off three-quarters of a million dollars.”

According to Schmidt, the note burning ceremony served as both a celebration and a reminder of what can be accomplished when a congregation remains faithful to God.

“Each generation needs to make a contribution and leave the ministries and facilities in better shape than they found them,” Schmidt said. “My biggest hope is that we utilize what we have here and use it to do evangelism, bring the community in, and just share God’s love and God’s grace.”