A couple turned this former Rogersville church building into a home. Now it's for sale

“There’s no way we’re doing that,” she remembers saying.

But Morley and then-fiancé Joshua were looking for a house just as home prices in 2021 skyrocketed. It needed to be in Rogersville, and the young family was running out of options. Then, a friend told them about a building for sale: the old Rogersville United Methodist Church building on North Main Street.

So the couple repurposed the old Methodist church into a family home.

The church was built in 1912 and expanded in 1936. It closed its doors in the summer of 2021 and was scheduled for demolition. Instead, the couple gave it another chance. They cleaned out the 8,500-square-foot structure and moved into the former fellowship hall. The sanctuary was stripped down to boards and exposed brick for a rustic event space.

“I was terrified, and we had no money,” Morley said. “But we felt called to it. Like God just put it in our lap, and we were the only people that were going to have this vision.”

Three years and about $200,000 in renovation work later, the family is looking for a new owner to carry on that vision. J.R. Hutcheson Real Estate Team has listed the building and half-acre lot for $349,500.

“Man, has it been a journey. I could probably write a book on the stories of growth we’ve had through buying the house,” Morley said. “But we have been called elsewhere and we have to move now. So we’re going to be passing the torch to whoever feels called to our building.”

Milestones, memories in the Rogersville church-house

The Morleys didn’t just buy the church to live there. After a two-year, long-distance engagement, they also got married in the newly renovated event space. The entire event was planned in three days, and 100 guests once again filled the former sanctuary. It was the first time Morley noticed “the feeling”: something special she’s never felt in another home.

“I had someone describe our wedding as, ‘the whole building was floating,’” she said. “It was the most magical day of my life. That spirit kind of carried over into the house from then on. It’s tangible. It’s palpable.”

During renovations, Morley’s husband Joshua had been joking about finding hidden treasure: perhaps a time capsule. There was a cornerstone dated 1936, and that piqued his interest. One day, his curiosity got the best of him. Without his wife’s knowledge, he began prying out the cornerstone. Inside was a small wooden box. It was, in fact, an 86-year-old time capsule.

The box contained a program detailing the cornerstone-laying ceremony on June 14, 1936. Also inside was a bible signed by the pastor, a list of church officials, the church blueprints and a letter detailing the history of the church.

Rogersville was entering its “greatest period of growth and development” in 1912, according to the letter. It had grown from a town called Henderson, a mile north on Highway B. Henderson started to die after the Frisco railroad was built through Rogersville. As a result, membership waned at Henderson Methodist Church. The new town of Rogersville needed a new church.

The letter was written during the Great Depression. It mentions an “unprecedented business and labor depression” that had gripped the community for the past five years. By then, the letter says, the church had lost much of its former enthusiasm and push.

“It was really cool to find those pieces,” Morley said. “I actually have those professionally framed and everything so they’re safe.”

‘It’s ready to go and full of potential’: 100-year-old Rogersville church for sale

Rogersville United Methodist Church was built in 1912 and remodeled in 1936. The living quarters, or “fellowship hall,” was added in 1919. The building features a stained-glass entry and 2,800 square feet of the original hardwood flooring. Under the sanctuary is an unfinished basement. The former fellowship hall is comprised of three bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, a laundry room and a large living and kitchen area.

“We’ve got three bedrooms and it's beautiful. It’s all finished. That side can be used as an Airbnb,” Morley said. “Then the sanctuary side is still bare bones, but it’s so beautiful. You could run a wedding venue out of it immediately if you wanted to.”

Morley said there should not be any issues with switching the property back to commercial zoning, if the buyer desires.

She also says this is not your run-of-the-mill real estate transaction. It’s also an emotional exchange, and the buyer should be prepared for that. The couple has taken on an “enormous” project. They want to make sure it’s passed on to someone who will carry on the revitalization effort.

“We want the right person to come buy our church,” Morley said. “And that they will want to be part of the Rogersville community and help it grow and maintain the small town feel. It’s not meant to be closed off to the community. It’s meant to be there for everyone to utilize and love.”