Earlier this month many of you stopped by the Pepper Valley parsonage for an open house. It wasn’t a housewarming party or a peek into your pastor’s home life — it was a celebration of faithful work. Our Board of Trustees has been working hard on that property, and they were proud (as they should be!) to show the results of their care and stewardship before the next clergy family moves in.
That family is the Connors — Rev. Heather Connor, their partner Adam, and their three children — who will be arriving in just a few weeks to begin full-time ministry with us. We’re so excited to welcome them and even more grateful to offer them a solid and well-cared-for place to call home.
Some of the folks who visited the open house asked great questions:
-Why does the church own houses like this?
-How does it work for the pastor — and for the church?
-What about equity or cost over time?
These are wise questions — and as it happens, our Trustees have been answering them too, as part of our reapplication process for property tax exemption on both parsonages with the county and state. So, let’s talk about the why behind the parsonage — its purpose, trade-offs, and the deep value it continues to offer in our life together.
Right now, UMCG owns and maintains two parsonages: one on Center Street (where my family currently lives) and one in Pepper Valley (where the Connor family will soon move in). Both have served as homes for the Hamilton family and generations of clergy and are well-located in Geneva, allowing pastors to be embedded in the community they serve.
This isn’t new. In fact, it’s part of a long-standing tradition in the United Methodist Church — rooted in our historical commitment to placing clergy in the neighborhoods and towns they serve. It began as a practical solution on the American frontier and evolved into a model of shared care: churches provide housing as part of clergy compensation, ensuring stability in an itinerant system.
There are solid reasons we still embrace the parsonage model today:
- It roots the pastor in the community.
Living in the same town as the church — not commuting from elsewhere — allows clergy to build relationships with neighbors, engage in local schools, shop nearby, and truly know the rhythms of the community. - It provides stability in a mobile profession.
United Methodist clergy are appointed, which means frequent moves are part of the system. Parsonages help prevent the financial instability that could come with repeatedly buying and selling homes. - It expands access to ministry in expensive areas.
Geneva is a beautiful place to live — but not always an affordable one. Without a parsonage, clergy would often be priced out of the communities they’re called to serve. - It’s a mission-minded use of resources.
While maintaining property isn’t cheap, it can be more sustainable than large housing allowances — especially in high-cost markets. For example, an annual housing allowance for me would be about $30–36,000, whereas the cost of maintaining the parsonage is often half of that or less.
One of the most common — and fair — questions we get: “If pastors live in a church-owned home, do they build equity?”The short answer is no. Clergy who live in a parsonage don’t build personal equity. There’s no house to sell, no appreciation to benefit from, no asset to borrow against. For families like mine, this means after years of ministry, we may not have the same financial footing as peers who’ve owned homes.
In fact, clergy still pay SECA tax on the fair rental value of the parsonage — essentially being taxed on housing we don’t own. Only one other group shares a similar setup: military officers, who also receive mission-based housing and face similar tax and mobility challenges. Like clergy, they’re sent where the mission requires — often with little notice — and providing housing helps make the mission possible.
To help offset the lack of equity, clergy can take a tax-free housing withdrawal from their retirement fund when purchasing a home in retirement. Meghan and I are saving with that in mind — hoping to build equity somewhere, somehow, before we retire or take the tax benefited housing withdrawal.
Some clergy (and officers) opt out of provided housing and choose to buy instead. But doing so can limit their flexibility to serve where they’re most needed — and in many communities, it’s simply not affordable. For us, the lack of equity is real, and it affects both of us — especially as we navigate frequent job changes in both of our careers. For example, I would have had to turn down the appointment to Geneva if the church didn’t provide housing, we simply would be able to afford this appointment.
This summer begins our fifth year living in the Center Street parsonage. Last year, the church invested in major exterior updates — new roof, siding, and windows. In the next few years, we hope to take on some needed interior work as well. When that time comes, we’ll invite the whole church in — not just to admire the updates, but to celebrate what good, collaborative stewardship looks like.
In the meantime, I want to say thank you:
- To our Trustees, who care for these homes with diligence and foresight,
- To our SPRC, who advocate for the value of the parsonage model,
- To this congregation, for making it possible for pastors and families to live, work, and thrive in the community we serve,
- And to generations past and present, who have made these homes possible — you’ve provided not just shelter, but a foundation for ministry.
From the Hamilton family, and soon from the Connor family:
Thank you for giving us a place to live. Thank you for helping us belong.
