For more than half a century, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church was a cornerstone of the Clarksville and Old West Austin communities.
It’s where people went to vote, buy gourds at the annual pumpkin patch fundraiser, drop their kids off at childcare or pose for pictures in the oversized chair on the church lawn.
But after 66 years at 1308 West Lynn Street, and after years of dwindling membership, St. Luke’s closed in 2024, putting the building up for sale. If Austin City Council approves a zoning change, it may become something else: a bookstore and art gallery.
The loss and conversion of churches across the country and in Austin is nothing new. Congregations are shrinking, building upkeep is expensive and the Covid lockdown that kept people away from public spaces only made things worse.
But as Austin evolves and grows, buildings intentionally erected as the heart of a neighborhood can maintain that role. In this case, the overwhelming support for St. Luke’s conversion shows how the new space might continue to serve the community.
“We’re all very thrilled about it,” said Pam Golightly, who lives near the church. “I mean, honestly, we can’t wait.”
A representative from St. Luke’s could not be reached, but Golightly said the church struggled with a shrinking population and costly repairs to the property. When the church decided to close its doors, she said, St. Luke’s leaders met with Clarksville and Old West Austin residents, asking for ideas on what to do with the property. Many hoped the church would remain standing.
As congregations across the country shutter or move to new spaces, many of the homes they leave behind are being repurposed and preserved.
It’s been happening in Austin for years. In 2019, St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church, a 1939 Mission Revival structure in Bouldin Creek in South Austin, was converted into luxury condos. A 1930s church in the Chestnut neighborhood in East Austin, occupied by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 80 years, is now home to The Cathedral, a coworking space.
When the St. Luke’s properties on West Lynn and West 14th streets went up for sale, 18 developers bid on them, said Graham Brown, whose offer was chosen.
“Mine was the only one that was going to keep the church,” he said.
But before the project can move forward, he’ll have to convince the City Council to sign off on a zoning change to allow commercial use of the site. City staff has recommended the change, as did the Planning Commission at its most recent meeting. City Council will ultimately approve or deny the zoning request.
A few neighbors have raised concerns, saying a new business would exacerbate existing traffic problems in the changing neighborhood.
But about three dozen neighborhood residents flooded the Planning Commission with letters of support, saying the proposal fits in with the community flavor and keeps the church intact. The Old West Austin Neighborhood Association also gave its blessing.
People have worried for more than a year that the building would be scrapped in favor of offices or expensive homes, said Mary Reed, a longtime resident of the neighborhood.
“Everyone I know is breathing a huge sigh of relief and feeling really excited about the project, and the fact that this beautiful sanctuary will be saved,” she said.
Churches across the country have been shuttering for decades, faced with shrinking congregations, aging members and the high costs of maintaining large, older buildings. Researchers say as many as 100,000 houses of worship across the country could close in the coming years, about a quarter of those in existence.
Researchers pin the decline of churchgoers on multiple factors. Fewer Americans identify with a specific religion. Fewer young people are going to church, bringing in less money to take care of congregations’ properties. The pandemic made things worse when people got out of the habit of attending services in person.
Now many religious groups are trying to figure out whether they need to close and, if they do, what to do with those assets, said Chris Miller, chief lending officer with the Texas Methodist Foundation. The foundation provides financial services, grants and loans to religious organizations in Texas and New Mexico.
Other churches are trying to preserve their congregations by finding new revenue streams, Miller said.
“I would say most of them would prefer to stay where they’re at and they’re open to monetizing the space to stay there,” he said. “Maybe it’s if they have extra land, selling a piece of land. Maybe it’s bringing in other groups to rent the space to bring in some extra cash flow.”
Some local churches have done just this. When Parker Lane United Methodist Church closed, it leased its land to Foundation Communities, an affordable housing nonprofit, for 99 years. The nonprofit built 135 apartments for low-income renters and the church uses office space there.
St. Austin Catholic Church did something similar when faced with its aging buildings. It leased its land on Guadalupe Street to a real estate developer, which built an apartment building for students. That deal helped pay for a new school and ministry space.
Churches that choose to shutter their doors struggle with that decision, Miller said.
“There are a lot of emotions in the physical space because generations have gone to the church,” he said. “They might not want to let go of the stained glass that their grandparents paid for, the pews that their parents put in. They might not want to lose a physical space that they were married at. So that makes some of the monetary discussions difficult.”
Neighbors say they miss St. Luke’s. The church’s old Instagram and Facebook posts illustrate what the congregation brought to the community.
Photos show a white sheet cake with “Happy Baptism Adele” written in green frosting, volunteers rolling wheelbarrows of pumpkins on the church’s lawn for a fundraiser, and notices for the church returning to live services as the pandemic eased. On Nov. 1, 2024, the church posted on Instagram that it would close at the end of the year.
Clarification: This story has been changed to clarify the fact that the church is located just outside of Clarksville, in Old West Austin.
Clarification, March 19, 2026 11:25 am:
This story has been changed to clarify the fact that the church is located just outside of the Clarksville Historic District, in Old West Austin.
